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Post by woodside on Aug 26, 2012 10:30:51 GMT -5
Avengers: The Ultron Imperative
I debated about where to put this particular one-shot and eventually decided it should take place before Kang Dynasty, despite references to those events. My reasoning is simply that this story would detract from the atmosphere of Kang Dynasty, so I placed it here, just before hand. I really wish they had just taken out the references and just let the story go on without, but it's Busiek . . . he has to reference and have flashbacks. It's in his contract, I'm sure.
Anyways, weird Avengers robots are on the rampage in NYC, causing all sorts of chaos. The real Avengers are called in and eventually split into two teams -- with one head to Greece and the other going to Egypt. Hawkeye is along for the ride, since Alkhema is based off on Mockingbird's brain-waves. In Egypt, they fight and all but Hawkeye and Grim Reaper are captured. Hawkeye has a Savage Land Vibranium arrow that can kill Alkhema, but he's not sure he can use it because it would basically be killing Mockingbird all over again.
Meanwhile, the Robos reveal synthezoids, which are being constructed by Alkhema. Except, the synthezoids are in fact building a new Ultron. Alkhema tells Hawkeye that she would rather die than to have Ultron live, so she has him kill her. She dies, all the robots explode and take Ultron with them. The Avengers regroup, the crisis averted.
At the end, we see a sole surviving bio-synth named Antigone come out with Ultron's head, looking to play and explore.
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I think I enjoyed this, though it dragged on and on. The artist/writer jamboree made it an interesting read.
I was pleased that we saw the conclusion of the Alkhema sub-plot, tied up nice and tight. And I also liked that this was more Hawkeye's story than Pym's. An excellent twist on an otherwise predictable story.
Overall, I liked it.
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Post by woodside on Aug 26, 2012 9:53:07 GMT -5
Avengers # 38 - 40
The Avengers have reorganized and rebuilt their operations in the wake of Cap's temper tantrum last issue. Going pro-active, they vow to tackle threats before they become threats -- such as going after Taskmaster, monitoring Slorenia, building a listening post in space, and more. The team has also expanded, bringing in Quicksilver, Black Knight, Firebird, Living Lightning, Photon, Jack O'Hearts, Quasar, and Thor.
This lead them into a conflict in Greece, where someone has released a strange dust that has turned a whole town into Hulks. The emergency interupts Vision and Carol's date, which was taking a weird turn anyway.
Once there, Hank determines that the Hulks are unstable and by throwing them together, they can form one big Hulk that Hank can then shrink down. The Avengers go along with this, but it backfires when the MegaHulk destroys his portable lab. Hank begins to have seizure, but still manages to develop a new plan. Quicksilver then leaves to get Bruce Banner and drag him over.
Meanwhile, back in NYC, Diablo shows up and steals some sort of N'Gari thing from underneath the surface (right across from Avengers Mansion, of course). Silverclaw battles with him, and is eventually joined by Wonder Man and Triathlon. Together, they defeat him.
Back in Greece, the Avengers and the Hulk enact their plan. Banner changes into the Hulk, merges with MegaHulk, and is able to push all the little Hulks, changing them back to normal.
Diablo turns out to not to have been Diablo at all, and the Avengers head home, feeling good about saving those townspeople.
Little do they know that Kang and the Scarlet Centurion have been watching them and are ready for a war!
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Loved these issues. Busiek hits all cylinders. The town of Hulks is a funky, fun, ol' school kinda idea. It brings a ton of fun, energetic visuals. I wish he had spent a little more time dealing with what these people had gone through (mentally). All of the people we see at the end look like average adults -- we don't see any children, senior citizens, babies, etc etc. Why not take a panel or two to check on in on these poor people?
But let's not worry too much about that. The inclusion of the Hulk was a good choice, as I had been rooting for Banner to make an appearance since issue one. I do wish a little more was done with him, but I understand that the editors probably wanted to keep their stories separated at this time.
Character wise, the focus is on complicated relationships between Vision, Simon, and Wanda. Vision's date with Carol was nice to see, but it certainly took a strange and awkward turn when he started talking about Wanda. And Simon questioning his future with Wanda was well done.
Hank's story takes another step forward, which I'm glad about, because it's not being dragged out.
The art is great. Alan Davis has always been one of my favorite artists and his work here is exceptional. He flows right along with Busiek's writing. It's certainly different than Perez, but it works just fine.
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Post by woodside on Aug 25, 2012 22:41:44 GMT -5
Wow, you guys are making me feel like a kid! Which isn't a bad thing as I turned 30 last weekend. ;D My first issue of Avengers (and I can't exactly confirm this) was issue # 400 from 1996. I bought it because of its link with the up-coming Onslaught crossover. I wasn't blown away by the story or the art, but I did enjoy it when the time traveler turned out to be Loki. And it was enough to pique my interest in the Avengers --- and if it hadn't, I wouldn't be here. A year-ish later, when Avengers # 1, Volume 3, came out, I remember thinking just how much different the Avengers were post-Heroes Reborn than they were pre-Onslaught. For the better, of course. Side-Note: I may have gotten the issues that tied with the X-Men/Avengers crossover, Bloodties, before this issue, but for some reason, I want to say I didn't get those until the next year or so. So I'm going with Avengers # 400.
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Post by woodside on Aug 23, 2012 22:44:27 GMT -5
Avengers # 37
The battle with Pagan and Lord Templar continues to Central Park, where they are joined by Yellowjacket-as-Goliath and a returned Photon. Eventually, they take down Photon -- and then Triathlon finishes Lord Templar with nothing more than a kick (which he understanably questions).
Meanwhile, in Slorenia, Cap and the gang try and stop the giant and super powerful Bloodwraith. Wanda is tasked with breaking his connection with the dead, but she soon discovers she can't and instead, bonds him to the country, trapping him there.
Frustrated and angry, Cap snaps about how they've left threats out there that have come back and bit them in the bum. Wasp understands, asks Cap to return to the Avengers, and wants to take a new approach to the team . . .
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Epting continues to deliver with this issue. His art is such a perfect fit.
This is really just a wrap up of last issues adventures. I liked it, even if there wasn't much to it. The Triune Understanding subplot is finally getting some legs to it.
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Post by woodside on Aug 23, 2012 22:26:44 GMT -5
Avengers # 36
The Avengers are cleaning up after Maximum Security, but Wasp can't help but feel like this is but the calm before the storm. Back at the mansion, Mrs. Chandler (3-D Man's wife) shows up and yells at Triathlon for having her husbands powers and symbol. She also reveals that her husband has gone missing. In the meantime, the Triune Understanding decides that in light of an approaching threat, they are going to launch a new PR approach the Avengers to bring in my converts.
This leads to an attack on the Avengers by Pagan and Templar. Hank is called in from a walk, but is ambushed by his mysterious "other self." Back at the mansion, the battle rampages. During the conflict, Wasp receives a message from Cap, asking for their help. Wasp sends a reluctant Iron Man, Wonder Man, Photon, and Scarlet Witch to Slorenia.
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This issue really has a dark feel to it, thanks to the brief and excellent pencils by Steve Epting. This is actually the first issue since the new team formed that I really enjoyed. It feels like a transition -- the Avengers cleaning up after Maximum Security; dealing with the fallout from Ultron Unlimited; revealing new hints and information about the Triune Understanding; and putting Wasp in a great spotlight as leader. Kurt really writes an excellent Jan and she comes across as a great, hard-nosed leader. Highlight of the book was her COMMANDING Iron Man to Slorenia.
Good ish!
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Post by woodside on Aug 23, 2012 21:58:27 GMT -5
MAXIMUM SECURITY!
I've actually read and reviewed this crossover before, so I'll be using parts of that review here because my opinions haven't changed that much.
Maximum Security: Dangerous Planet one-shot, Maximum Security # 1, Iron Man # 35, Thor # 30, Uncanny X-Men # 387, Black Panther # 25, Captain America # 36, Bishop # 15, Maximum # 2, Gambit # 23, X-Men # 107, X-Men Unlimited # 29, Avengers # 35, Maximum Security # 3
(Note: Despite my knowing there are other tie-ins, not all of them tie into the central story – or really at all. Hence, I’m just using the main books from the crossover.)
The story starts during a meeting with the Intergalactic Council. Concerns have been raised about humans in light of Professor X leading Cadre K to breeding facilities to save K-Class Mutant Skrulls. While this is happening, though, Ego the Living Planet returns and causes all sorts of trouble. The Silver Surfer and Cadre K eventually take Ego down, much to the humiliation of the Council. It is then decided that humanity must be dealt with. Newcomers the Ruul have an idea: transport all alien convicts there and quarantine the solar system.
As USAgent and other heroes encounter more and more aliens, he takes command of the Avengers. The Avengers confront Ronan, who is aboard a ship in orbit of the Earth. Ronan punts the super-heroes back to the ground and they soon discover that Ego is slowly manifesting itself on Earth. Iron Man and the Fantastic Four investigate and being to understand that a host will be needed to contain Ego. The Silver Surfer volunteers.
In the meantime, Earth is amok with aliens. Cap stops one from accidentally blowing up the Statue of Liberty in an effort to leave. Beta-Ray Bill comes back. The last surviving D’Bari seeks revenge on Jean. The Black Panther and his liaison Everett K. Ross stumble upon a temple which serves as portal to another planet, but is destroyed by aliens on the other side to stop the convicts from fleeing.
In space, Lilandria tells Professor X that he needs to get to Deathbird, as she has the key to freeing Earth. As Professor X and Cadre K search for her, they encounter the returned Bishop. During a heated confrontation, Bishop gains a keycard from her. She then goes flying out into space. Bishop then volunteers to be shipped back to Earth ala a space convict. In the meantime, the Cadre K telepath Z’Cann lands on Earth and makes contact with the X-Men. She bonds with Rogue and Rogue finds out the plan.
Ego continues to grow out of control, absorbing people and landmass. While the Commission of Superhuman Activities recruits aliens to help resist, USAgent discovers that the Ruul are really the Kree and are taking orders from the Supreme Intelligence.
Gambit then retrieves some information on how to stop Ego. As he does, the X-Men head to Ellis Island and retrieve Bishop, then meet with Goliath (Hank Pym) and Warbird (Carol Danvers). They once more break into Ronan’s ship and gain access to various controls and get some information. Then, they head back to Earth.
In space, an Avengers team that had been out in the cosmos before the nuts hit the fan goes to meet with the Intergalactic Council. They are shortly captured by the Ruul, who are really an evolved form of Kree, thanks to the Nega-Bomb and the Forever Crystal. They also learn that the Supreme Intelligence is planning on taking control of the Ego/Earth using towers set up and absorbed on Earth in conjunction with the satellites keeping Earth quarantined.
Using codes retrieved using Deathbird keycard on board Ronan’s ship, the X-Men and the Avengers led a team of heroes and aliens onto one of the satellites and release the system from the quarantine. They also teleport Cadre K and Professor X there as well.
On the surface, using information provided by Gambit, the team there get Silver Surfer to absorb some of Ego. Unfortunately, it’s not enough. Ronan then arrives, using some of Ego’s power. A battle royale follows, but when Quasar absorbs the rest of Ego and is forced into exile, the good guys win . . . even though the Kree Empire is back up and running again.
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Kurt Busiek is the writer of the main book and “Avengers.” Other writers contributing the central story would be Dan Jurgens, Joe Quesada, Joe Harris, Fabian Nicieza, Joe Pruett, and Chris Claremont.
Busiek does a good job of handling the main series, which is actually the highlight of the crossover. Honestly, I wish the crossover had only just been contained to the Avengers titles and the main title. I do like the inclusion of the other Marvel books because it adds some broadness, but the whole "the disc has information about Ego" from Gambit and the whole "this key will let the good guys teleport onto the citadel" just feel woefully unnecessary and disjointed. What was the point? Why did Professor X have the Skrulls captured? It's mind-boggling. Cutting these subplots would have left those tie-ins feeling less awkward and would have cut some very forced scenes from the main series.
Plus, we don't even get a real sense of what happened to all the prisoners! Did the Shi'ar and whatnot come back and drag them all away? Were they locked up on Earth? Did they all leave or did some stay?
Gah!
Character-wise, I did like that the heroes of this story were mostly second-stringers -- USAgent, Professor X, Lilandria, Quasar, Tigra, Bishop, Photon, Moondragon, Jack O’Hearts, Cersie all serve as the main characters. Sure, Thor, Iron Man, Black Panther, and the Fantastic Four are all there in the spotlight, but the characters I listed above are the stars of the show.
The art varies from issue to issue, but in terms of “Maximum Security” itself, I find it a little lacking. Jerry Ordway is a great artist, of course, but at times, the art comes off as weak. This might be attributed to the inkers, though.
It is nice to see some solid payoff, though. This crossover is the culmination of subplots from both Live Kree or Die! and Avengers Forever. It's a good payoff and I liked the restoration of the Kree Empire. Ronan was kinda cool.
Overall, this crossover feels bloated and unwieldly. I reads poorly together and fails to address the long-terms effects of what was the main push of this story.
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Post by woodside on Aug 17, 2012 0:12:45 GMT -5
Avengers Infinity
Quasar discovers that a Rigillian colony has been destroyed – its population mysteriously wiped out. He finds Jack O’Hearts in a coma state and then proceeds to contact the Avengers for help. Instead of the team currently lead by Wasp, Quasar brings together Photon, Moondragon, Thor, Starfox, and Tigra. They regroup on the Rigel colony and Moondragon scans Jack’s mind to discover who was behind the attack – creatures called Servitors, minions of the mysterious Infinities.
The Avengers battle the Servitors, but are forced to retreat when Photon discovers that they are breaking the world down. The Avengers shove off at just the right second. A much larger being appears and begins to reshape the planet into a cylinder. The Avengers attempt to enter the being to understand what it’s doing, but Photon gets trapped. The Avengers mount a rescue – but as they do, other beings with other worlds-turned-cylinders show up and link them forming a giant.
Then the hand of the true Infinite appears to grab hold the ring, to pull all of the stars of the galaxy away to form a weird wall. To combat the Infinites, the Avengers contact Eternity and enlist him in stopping the Infinites. Eternity channels the Avengers, proving to the Infinities that the universe contains worlds that rife with diverse and prominent life-forms. The Infinities realize the error of their ways and stop what they’re doing. The colony world is reformed and an Infinite dies to restore the world ecology.
I absolutely loved this mini-series. It was more fun than I’ve had in some time with Avengers, to be honest. The dialogue is snappy. The themes of humanity vs cosmic beings is laid out well. I love the idea of size being such a big selling point for this series – the comparison of ants that Thor goes on about. It might be about the cosmic aspects of the Marvel Universe, but it illustrates the relationship with the tiny beings (we humans) with the amazing massive (the Infinites). It works really well.
I also enjoyed Photon being in command. The way she talks to Thor is amazing. Her closeness with Tigra, the uneasiness with Moondragon, and her familiarity with Quasar and Jack all help Monica steal the show.
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Post by woodside on Aug 13, 2012 23:57:44 GMT -5
Whew! A lot here!
Avengers # 31
The Avengers are contacted by the Vision, who has learned that the crime organization the Maggia are meeting in Chicago. Having completed some training and some inconclusive medical scans on Hank, the Avengers head out and meet with up with Vision. They ambush the Maggia, whose ranks include Madame Masque, and find that the group is trying to be united by the Grim Reaper. A battle ensues, with all but three of the crime bosses being captured. Grim Reaper tries to use Madame Masque as a bargaining chip, but she explodes (!) and the Reaper escapes
I liked this issue a lot. It was great to see Vision back in the saddle and I enjoyed his dialogue with Wanda. The tension between Duane and Tony and the others is a little hard to deal with and I’m hoping to see a break-through soon. While their first outing was unexciting, this new team really shined in this mission. I’m actually excited to see what’s next! But first, off to Thunderbolts # 42 to find out what happened to Simon . . .
Thunderbolts # 42
Atlas, wallowing in his misery, is suddenly attacked by Wonder Man. The two of them duke it out. Atlas tries to talk villain-in-hiding Man-killer into helping, but she laughs at him and runs away. The other Thunderbolts get involved, but just as Wonder Man is taking Atlas away. Hawkeye decides to contact the Avengers.
Also, a lot of other things are going that I don’t understand nor do I think matter. These flashbacks hurt my head.
Um, well, this issue was fun. Maybe it’s just my mood, but I enjoyed it. Now, I did skip over all of the weird, confusing, inconclusive flashback stuff. It just didn’t make any sense. The Wonder Man vs Atlas fight, on the hand, was cool. Bagley’s art is always a pleasure to look at it.
Avengers # 32
She-Hulk leaves the Avengers now that Vision is back. On her way out, Black Widow shows up with a coin given to her a while ago by a robot kidnapping Masque, a Madame Masque clone-thing that joined the Avengers back in the crazy days of the mid-90s (but she doesn’t have a jacket, so she was spared that). As Iron Man and Black Widow try and uncover Madame Masque’s location, Triathlon makes it clear to Jonathan Tremont that his Avengers responsibilities take precedence. Eventually, the Avengers track down Grim Reaper, who is about to attack Madame Masque’s butte (not butt) and fisticuffs follow. Madame Masque launches her own attack – but it’s all interrupted by the arrival of Count Nefaria, who has Wonder Man and Atlas in tow!
While the last issue was a breeze, this one stumbled. She-Hulk, who had been such a fun character, leaves. It’s disappointing. I do like the arrival of Black Widow, though. And there are some great scenes – like Vision’s awkwardly asking Carol out and Triathlon giving Tremont attitude. But Madame Masque acts like a complete and total nutjob and the constant flashbacks are just out of control. Sometimes, it’s okay to just tell a story without having to show us everything that’s come before. On the other hand, maybe Madame Masque needed this issue to just help clarify her history. I dunno.
Thunderbolts # 43
Black Widow goes to the Thunderbolts headquarters and recruits the Thunderbolts in sneaking into Baron Zemo Sr’s old base. The Maggia are looking for information regarding Ionic Energy or some such. They encounter Cyclone and fight it out. They quickly learn that this is all moot; Count Nefaria has apparently used all of this information all ready and has used to take control of Wonder Man and Atlas.
Also, other things happen that don’t make sense.
Thunderbolts is a dense read. Aside from the story that’s going on, there’s about five or six other subplots running around that just don’t have any interest or relevance for me. It’s difficult to follow under the best of circumstances and I think read as part of an Avengers crossover, it becomes a chore. So I skip that stuff. Ultimately, though, this issue just feels pointless. There was no real reason for it other than to crossover to Avengers. The Thunderbolts did nothing important other than confirm that they were too late. There’s very little to the Black Widow/Hawkeye meeting. It’s a snooze-a-thon.
Avengers # 33
The Avengers, Count Nefaria, Grim Reaper, and Madame Masque’s forces all battle it out in front of Madame Masque’s butte. Madame Masque believes it’s all a ruse to lure her out into the open, but as the battle because heated, she questions that scenario. Egged on by Masque, she initiates an evacuation. Count Nefaria has Atlas and Wonder Man destroy the butte and captures Madame Masque. The Avengers interviene, and Count Nefaria eventually decides to book it with his ionically controlled minions in tow. The Avengers regroup at the mansion with Grim Reaper in shackles and Madame Masque being interrogated. She and Tony have a few moments where he tries to convince her to help them. Soon after this, the Thunderbolts and Black Widow call in, claiming they’ve found evidence that Count Nefaria is out to build a huge Ionic Bomb!
I’ll say off the bat, I’m not a fan of Count Nefaria and Madame Masque. I did like the appearance of Masque, as I never quite understood this character. I did also like the moment between Tony and Madame Masque. It wasn’t a terrible issue, but it wasn’t a homerun either.
Busiek does a good job of making Count Nefaria into a dangerous threat. Madame Masque, for all her paranoia and a little whacky for me, calms down as the issue goes on. It was okay.
Thunderbolts # 44
The Avengers and the Thunderbolts meet up at the mansion and discuss their recent missions. Captain America and She-Hulk rejoin them for this mission. Madame Masque, Doctor Malus (captured by the Thunderbolts), Goliath, and Iron Man proceed to build a weapon to stop the Ionic Bomb, called the Ionic Lock. The two teams them locate Count Nefaria and engage Atlas and Wonder Man. This eventually leads to Iron Man using the Ionic Lock on them and changing them back into their human forms. Suddenly, though Count Nefaria shows up and activates his bomb. The Ionic Lock, surprisingly, doesn’t work.
This felt like just another installment in this crossover. I’m really clueless regarding the Thunderbolts, so that stuff is completely lost on me. But I did enjoy the suggestion that Songbird and Mach-2 could be Avengers. I also loved the scene where Cap tells Clint he’s proud of him for standing by the Thunderbolts and keeping with his convictions. Beyond that, this was rather ho-hum.
I did want to comment on the rather pointless appearance by She-Hulk and, to a certain extent, Cap. She-Hulk’s absence from the team lasted one full issue and now she’s back. Cap, on the other hand, was back just a little bit ago and seems to really just pop in whenever he felt like it. With the rigidity of the Avengers membership early in the series, things have certainly become more relaxed.
Avengers # 34
The Avengers and the Thunderbolts duke it out with Count Nefaria, trying to wear him out. Masque then emerges, but is quickly killed by Count Nefaria. Madame Masque, in shock over her father’s ruthless killing of a woman that she could have been, fires the Ionic Lock at the Count Nefaria. It hurts him enough for him to leak Ionic energy and the Avengers and Thunderbolts pile it out. Meanwhile, Wonder Man and Atlas wake up and have to race the bomb into space. The bomb explodes and the pair have to absorb its energy. Count Nefaria goes after them, but explodes with power and is defeated. Madame Masque escapes, Count Nefaria has been defeated, the Ionic guys are safe, and the Avengers and the Thunderbolts leave on good terms.
Except Yellowjacket just spotted his wife on TV . . .
An excellent conclusion to an otherwise uneven story. Busiek does an amazing job making Count Nefaria into a real, impossible to beat bad guy. I loved seeing the good guys just pour it on him – and not take him down! I also enjoyed the scenes with Madame Masque and it saved the character for me.
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Post by woodside on Aug 8, 2012 0:14:19 GMT -5
Avengers Annual 2000
Patsy Walker (aka Hellcat) goes on TV and talks about her experiences, including her recent return to life. Her ol' pal Heddy then shows up and drags her back to Centerville, which we reveal has been turned into an amusement park -- being run by the Sons of the Serpent and the Salem Seven. Hellcat reaches out to Moondragon, who assemebles the only available Avengers (Cap, Iron Man, and Scarlet Witch) along with Hawkeye and Songbird. The team goes to Centerville, fight the bad guys, and then get captured. Heddy saves the day and the Avengers depart, leaving Hellcat happily in Centerville.
***
This felt really pointless, other than to establish the Hellcat is back. The bad guys were dull, the Avengers felt disposable (though I liked the nod to Avengers Forever) and the art was bad.
That's all I really have to say about that, I guess.
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Post by woodside on Aug 7, 2012 21:41:43 GMT -5
The real question if they're constructed using unstable molecules? Or, in the very least, can handle the daily activities of being an Avengers -- ie. being durable enough to run across an alien battlefield; capable of sustaining heel-to-armor impacts; and able to endure super-speed?
I doubt those would be real cheap!
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Post by woodside on Aug 5, 2012 12:31:13 GMT -5
Avengers # 30
Kulan Gath prepares to sacrifice Pelali, the Avengers, and the whole d**n village so that he can become a god. Luckily, Iron Man figures out a way for the army to enter and remain normal. Also, Giant-Man is able to break out and a battle ensues. People are transformed into monsters and demons and other insanity ensues. Ultimately, Silverclaw reaches out to her villagers and their faith weakens Kulan Gath. Gath prepares to kill her, but our mystery man from last issue blasts him from the shadows. Kulan Gath prepares the scarfice Pelali anyways and when he does, a portal opens. The "dark ones" that granted him his power are pissed and drag him into it. Pelali dies, regretting shunning her daughter, but knowing time is up. Silverclaw goes back home with the Avengers, and is even granted a spot as a reservist. Meanwhile, hiding out in the back of the Quinjet is none other than YELLOWJACKET?! Say whaaaaa?!
***
The less said about Kulan Gath, the better. I found this story to be way too long. This could have been covered in two issues. He's clearly a danger, but I just don't feel intimidated by him.
We did some get some good characterization, though. Silverclaw's come full circle with her origin and I'm glad to see her among the Avengers. She should add some new drama to the gang. Triathlon seems to have lost that chip on his shoulder and is showing signs of melding in with the rest of the team. She-Hulk is as fun as ever.
The big twist with Yellowjacket suprised me when I read this years ago. I remember wondering this had some sort of connection with Avengers Forever (like he had gotten time lost at some point). I don't quite remember the hows and whys of this subplot, but it's a neat little wrinkle.
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Post by woodside on Aug 3, 2012 23:43:15 GMT -5
Avengers # 29 (Volume Three)
The Avengers are woken by a battle nearby. They soon discover that the volcano goddess Peliali is being attacked by strange priests. The Avengers intercede and become involved in a fight with Hawk-Riders, loyal to Kulan Gath. As they wrap up their own battle, Pelali and the priests vanish. Meanwhile, the military begins to move in!
The Avengers split off. Wasp and Iron Man meet up with the military and agree to follow them back to the capital to figure the situation out. The other Avengers (protected by Wanda's magic) enter the transformed city, followed by both a child (who turns out to by Kulan Gath) and a mysterious man.
The Avengers find themselves in a tavern after encountering parts of the real world entering the village. Eventually, a bar fight breaks out. Kulan Gath transforms the patrons into monster that manage to bring the Avengers down. Kulan Gath also (in classic Busiek style) relates his brief history to a captured Pelali, and declares to change the world's reality into his own.
***
Out of all of Busiek's story arcs, this one might be the most lackluster. While I certainly don't mind Silverclaw, her story here just doesn't work for me. I have no feelings towards Kulan Gath, and my only memories are from the time he attacked the X-Men and Spider-Man defeated him or something. Wasn't he in Conan the Barbarian?
After suffering world-bending realities in the very beginning of Busiek's run, revisiting it here just doesn't seem to click.
On the other hand, we get some good moments. I did like Silverclaw's anger towards Pelali for making her father seem like a crackpot and herself like a freak. Carol has a great moment in the tavern, having to resist booze -- and she really shines when she goes off on Triathilon for being a loud-mouthed punk. I also really enjoyed Wasp's leadership ability and her dynamic with the rest of the team.
She-Hulk is just so much fun, from her flirtations with Triathilon to her leaping up and starting the bar fight.
Unfortunately, nothing else in this story arc really grabs me.
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Post by woodside on Aug 2, 2012 22:58:38 GMT -5
Avengers # 28 (Volume Three) The Avengers do some PR work by smashing down some crappy old buildings in favor of a new, beautiful civic center. They return to the Mansion to find that Silverclaw has recieved warning of an ancient prophecy in her homeland is about to come true. The Avengers decide to accompany her to Costa Verde, but find that her small village has been replaced by a beautiful, ancient city. The Avengers investigate and realize that reality has changed within the city walls. Kulan Gath then manifests and warns them to go away. *** Despite some strong moments, this issue really disappointed. Silverclaw gets a full origin, which I liked. I also enjoyed the PR work the Avengers did in the opening pages. But just about everything else bothered me. Kulan Gath's little world just reminds me too much of Morgan LeFaye's from issues 1-3. The comments by Triathlon, who I liked a lot, seem very forced and out of place. They just don't fit. Here's hoping the next two parts of this story are better . . . -------- Just a side note, guys. I'm typically positng these a little later in the day (like midnight) and so I can't always reply to comments made. Maybe someday I'll be able to do some nice replies, but right now, I'm just trying to find the time to post these reviews!
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Post by woodside on Aug 1, 2012 21:11:08 GMT -5
Read Order # 1: Avengers vs X-Men AvsX # 0 AvsX # 1 AvsX # 2 (pages 1 - 10, panel one) AvsX: Avengers vs X-Men # 1 AvsX # 2 (rest of issue) AvsX # 3 AvsX # 4 (pages 1-14, panel 2) AvsX: Avengers vs X-Men # 2 (Captain America vs Gambit) AvsX # 4 (pages 14-15) AvsX: Avengers vs X-Men # 2 (Colossus vs Spider-Man) AvsX # 4 (rest of issue) AvsX # 5 (pages 1-10) AvsX: Avengers vs X-Men # 3 AvsX # 5 (rest of issue) AvsX # 6 AvsX # 7 AvsX # 8 AvsX: Avengers vs X-Men # 4 AvsX # 9
Read Order # 2: Avengers Avengers # 24.1 New Avengers # 24 Avengers # 25 Avengers # 26 (pages 1-8) Secret Avengers # 26 Secret Avengers # 27 Secret Avengers # 28 Avengers # 26 (rest of issue) Avengers # 27 New Avengers # 25 New Avengers # 26 New Avengers # 27 New Avengers # 28 Avengers # 28
Read Order # 3: X-Men Wolverine and the X-Men # 9 Uncanny X-Men # 11 Wolverine and the X-Men # 10 Uncanny X-Men # 12 Wolverine and the X-Men # 11 Wolverine and the X-Men # 12 Wolverine and the X-Men # 13 Uncanny X-Men # 13 Uncanny X-Men # 14 Uncanny X-Men # 15 Uncanny X-Men # 16 Wolverine and the X-Men # 14
Nearing the end! Only three more issues of the main series, two more of Avengers, two more of New Avengers, three more of Wolverine and the X-Men, three more of Uncanny X-Men, and two more of AvsX: Avengers vs X-Men. Of course, there's still the "Consequences" limited series.
One of my local shops typically have big sales, where they offer $1.00 back issues. I plan on hitting it up to get caught up with Legacy and Academy.
As the crossover continues, we will see things continue to shift. I'm hoping to have a chance sit down when this is all over and read it as one big story! (if the kids are asleep)
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Post by woodside on Jul 29, 2012 9:22:05 GMT -5
Avengers # 27
Under growing pressure from protesters and personal issues within the team, the Avengers decide to shake-up their rooster. Cap has already quit; Vision's been out for a while too. Justice and Firestar head out to Europe to re-kindle their relationship. Thor leaves because Duane Freeman gets in his face.
Duane Freeman and the other remaining Avengers help build a new team, but pressure not to put a bunch of white people together hangs heavily over them. In the end, the Avengers consist of Iron Man, Warbird, Triathilon, She-Hulk, Wasp, Scarlet Witch, and Goliath.
***
This issue feels really uncomfortable. It bothers me that just as the team was getting it together (see Ultron Unlimited), that they all fall apart.
Busiek creates an awkward atomosphere and does a good job at putting Duane Freeman and the Avengers in an uncomfortable position. The debates about race was one thing, but the accusation of religious prejudice is another. This was the high point of the book.
Busiek and Perez do an excellent job of keeping this tension going throughout the issue -- all the up to the lack of "Avengers Assemble!" during their press conference.
But I can't help but question -- why have a team that's already in place and has finally gotten its stuff together, and just up and replace them? I'm not talking in-universe. I mean, in the real world, why did Busiek/Breevort decide to do this?
Whatever the reason, I guess we could do worse. Warbird is back. Wasp is leader. Triathilon is cool.
I'm just not feeling it. And I think that was the point.
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Post by woodside on Jul 21, 2012 9:35:54 GMT -5
Avengers # 26
Sorry about such a delay. Real life is weighing pretty hard on me lately.
Anyways, so let's get moving!
Captain America summons Silverclaw, Ant-Man, and Warbird to help him infiltrate the Triune Understanding's NYC headquarters. Captain Marvel shows up to help out and they break in. They discover a pyschic generater and Cap wants them to destroy it.
The non-Avengers feel like this isn't quite right and confront Cap about it. Cap reveals that he's really the Taskmaster, hired by the Triune Understanding to frame the Avengers for destroying the machine. Taskmaster and his hencemen fight the non-Avengers, but he gains the upperhand and vaporizes the building, leaving on the non-Avengers in its place.
Jonathan Tremont, Triathlon, and the press show up. Triathlon finds himself silently questioning Tremont, but all of this is interupted by news that the Avengers are experiencing a major shake-up!
--------
I really liked seeing Captain Marvel and Ant-Man. Ant-Man is one of those character that I always felt like was an odd fit in the regular MU. Captain Marvel didn't really add anything to the book except to serve plot point, but I've really liked his character design.
Silverclaw didn't impress me that much, though I did like her dedication to the core ideals of the Avengers. Warbird is slowly walking that road to redemption, but man, it's a long one!
I wasn't really impressed by Stuart Immonen's art. It's weird to see his work here, which feels so long ago. He's envolved so much since this time and his style has developed into some much less generic. But here, the art is lacking.
The Triune saga continues with glacial pace . . .
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Post by woodside on Jul 21, 2012 9:22:44 GMT -5
I don't know if there's anything to say. It's a senseless tragedy carried out by a twisted person. I just keep thinking "all they wanted was to see a movie." It's a very dark day and it's weighed heavily on my mind since hearing about it.
That being said, please don't equate a lack of comment here as apathy. This forum is a little quiet anyways.
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Post by woodside on Jul 16, 2012 19:58:36 GMT -5
I'm pretty sure it was confirmed to take place after the events of AvsX. The comic purposely does not refer to other events in the MU because it's being written for new readers coming out of the Avengers movie and will probably be pointed to as a good entry point for new readers after the Guardians of the Galaxy movie.
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Post by woodside on Jul 15, 2012 13:59:07 GMT -5
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Post by woodside on Jul 8, 2012 14:06:57 GMT -5
Read Order # 1: Avengers vs X-Men AvsX # 0 AvsX # 1 AvsX # 2 (pages 1 - 10, panel one) AvsX: Avengers vs X-Men # 1 AvsX # 2 (rest of issue) AvsX # 3 AvsX # 4 (pages 1-14, panel 2) AvsX: Avengers vs X-Men # 2 (Captain America vs Gambit) AvsX # 4 (pages 14-15) AvsX: Avengers vs X-Men # 2 (Colossus vs Spider-Man) AvsX # 4 (rest of issue) AvsX # 5 (pages 1-10) AvsX: Avengers vs X-Men # 3 AvsX # 5 (rest of issue) AvsX # 6
Read Order # 2: Avengers Avengers # 24.1 New Avengers # 24 Avengers # 25 Avengers # 26 (pages 1-8) Secret Avengers # 26 Secret Avengers # 27 Secret Avengers # 28 Avengers # 26 (rest of issue) Avengers # 27 New Avengers # 25 New Avengers # 26 New Avengers # 27
Read Order # 3: X-Men Wolverine and the X-Men # 9 Uncanny X-Men # 11 Wolverine and the X-Men # 10 Uncanny X-Men # 12 Wolverine and the X-Men # 11 Uncanny X-Men # 13 Wolverine and the X-Men # 12 Uncanny X-Men # 14 Uncanny X-Men # 15
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Post by woodside on Jul 8, 2012 10:45:54 GMT -5
Nah! I don't think anyone really cares about Marvel NOW! here, including myself. I think it's safe to keep it in this thread.
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Post by woodside on Jul 7, 2012 9:44:03 GMT -5
I think the biggest problem with Namor is that his books just never do as well as Marvel wants them to. There is most certainly an audience for him, but it's just never big enough to support his own, solo title. With Namor being such a major character in the MU and one of the very first characters (was he the first or second?), there's a need to keep him around and relevant.
So I think that's why we've seen him take so many sides in his history. Hence right now why he's with the X-Men, an idea I originally hated, but now really enjoy. He seems a good fit with him, as he was the first Marvel anti-hero and most of the X-Men are anti-heroes these days.
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Post by woodside on Jul 5, 2012 22:12:32 GMT -5
Oh gosh! I leave the computer, come back, just hit "Post Reply" without paying attention, and then see that LittleW has messed up my post.
Sigh. Kids.
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Post by woodside on Jul 5, 2012 19:04:29 GMT -5
You are most certainly not the first to bring it up, my friend. It's been something on my mind too, at times. Why so many allies, but no real human members? (outside of Maddie Pryor) Even a super-human would be an excellent addition.
That being said, the X-Men have a pretty big target on their backs since Mutants are feared and hated. A "normal" human might simply want to keep their distance, super-powered of bhhyyt \\ 'ny nju ymku my ny l\]
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Post by woodside on Jul 4, 2012 23:59:35 GMT -5
(Hmm. Has that discriminatory standard ever been explored in their books-??) Yes and no. The majority of the team is currently and has always been Mutants. After Decimation, some of the few de-powered X-Men and associates (Prodigy and Dani Moonstar, to name a few) stuck around as full-time members. The X-Men have always had plenty of human allies - Moira, Stevie Hunter, Charlotte Jones, Dr Kavita Rao, Tom Corsi, etc etc. Some of them have gone off on adventures with those pesky X-Men. When the school was open during Morrison's run, there was at least one human student. Captain Britain and Daytripper/Magik II are both humans, but were technically only members of Excalibur. Oh, and Longshot wasn't a Mutant. He wasn't human either, if that counts.
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Post by woodside on Jul 4, 2012 10:46:52 GMT -5
Uncanny Avengers sounds like creative bankruptcy writ large. They've been getting their arses kicked by DC, and have literally no idea what to do, so some idiot decided to combine the X-men and Avengers into one mega-popular title. Given how stupid people are, it might work. I've liked Hickman's FF stuff, and he's not Bendis, so it might be ok. But mostly I just think Marvel is decades past having any real ideas, and coasting on past successes. As for Bendis on x-men, lol@x-fans. I hope he stays there for 2 decades, but since his star is on the wane I'm betting it'll be a few years, three tops till he "decides" to move on again. Wow, a little hateful, much? I think assuming someone is "stupid" just because they like a certain book is pretty insulting. And if you think so lowly of Bendis being on X-Men, then why should X-Fans suffer? Just because Avengers fans "suffered?" I do think that Uncanny Avengers feels like a big marketing exercise. It doesn't feel natural or organic. I think Marvel sees the financial success of AvsX and sees two of their biggest franchises and intends to just smoosh them together. Though Remender writes both an X-books and Avengers book right now, so . . . I don't know really what to expect. I'm left scratching my head.
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Post by woodside on Jul 3, 2012 23:35:22 GMT -5
Avengers # 24 and 25
I've been trying not to reviews issues together, but issue 24 was just so boring!
The long and short of it: The Juggernaut is being hunted by the Exemplars, in what is a follow-up to the crossover "The Eighth Day." The Exemplars arrive in NYC and the Avengers - joined by Quicksilver and amidst protests - go off to attack the Exemplars.
A battle ensues, Juggernaut is captured. The Avengers regroup, hash out some personal problems, and then go off to fight the Exemplars and free the Juggernaut. They are joined (randomly) by Hercules, Wasp, Giant-Man, Spider-Man, and Nova. A fight ensues again and all but Cap are subdued.
Cap appeals to the human side of the Exemplars. They take off, the Juggernaut allows himself to be captured, and then -- CAP QUITS THE TEAM?!!?!?!
*****
Just a quick review -- I liked the Wanda/Pietro conversation. Nice family drama. The protests are "meh." I liked the battle scenes, they were fun. Lots of fun.
Cap's leaving at the end felt a little . . . weird. He speech, though impassioned and seemed to work, also appeared to have little long-term effect on the Exemplars. We haven't seen them since.
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Post by woodside on Jul 3, 2012 22:40:19 GMT -5
Wow. popwatch.ew.com/2012/07/03/marvel-now-jean-grey-exclusive/To recap: - Rick Remender will be writing a "flagship" Marvel title called "Uncanny Avengers" (seriously). It will be a feature members of both the X-Men and the Avengers together. - Jonathan Hickman will be writing Avengers, focusing on big cosmic stories and interchanging 5-to-6 part stories with smaller, single issue stories. Shang-Chi is the only confirmed member thus far. - Bendis will be writing a bi-weekly X-Book called All New X-Men. It will feature the original five X-Men time traveling into the future and encountering their present-day counter-parts . . . and being horrified. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about all this. Uncanny Avengers just feels hollow, though I like the idea of Cap reaching out and doing more for Mutants. We speculated about Hickman's approach to Avengers in a different thread. Guess it's confirmed. All New X-Men? Uhhhhhhh. No comment?
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Post by woodside on Jun 29, 2012 22:48:32 GMT -5
Read Order # 1: Avengers vs X-Men AvsX # 0 AvsX # 1 AvsX # 2 (pages 1 - 10, panel one) AvsX: Avengers vs X-Men # 1 AvsX # 2 (rest of issue) AvsX # 3 AvsX # 4 (pages 1-14, panel 2) AvsX: Avengers vs X-Men # 2 (Captain America vs Gambit) AvsX # 4 (pages 14-15) AvsX: Avengers vs X-Men # 2 (Colossus vs Spider-Man) AvsX # 4 (rest of issue) AvsX # 5 (pages 1-10) AvsX: Avengers vs X-Men # 3 AvsX # 5 (rest of issue) AvsX # 6
Read Order # 2: Avengers Avengers # 24.1 New Avengers # 24 Avengers # 25 Avengers # 26 (pages 1-8) Secret Avengers # 26 Secret Avengers # 27 Secret Avengers # 28 Avengers # 26 (rest of issue) Avengers # 27 New Avengers # 25 New Avengers # 26 New Avengers # 27
Read Order # 3: X-Men Wolverine and the X-Men # 9 Uncanny X-Men # 11 Wolverine and the X-Men # 10 Uncanny X-Men # 12 Wolverine and the X-Men # 11 Uncanny X-Men # 13 Uncanny X-Men # 14 Wolverine and the X-Men # 12
Secret Avengers fits "okay" within the confines of Avengers, though it's a odd combination. I may just give it a read at some point in that order just to see how it fits.
Another reason I'm pushing for this kind of read order is because of the logic bend events of AvsX # 6 which shows Beast quitting the team . . . and then Wolverine and the X-Men # 12, in which he is still on board.
It reminds me a lot of the Invisible Woman debacle from Civil War, where we saw her write that letter to Reed and basically "flee into the night" -- but we also saw her get into huge argument with Reed where she put a hole in the floor and ceiling and left that way. We can fudge the details for that one (and I did) and I suppose we can do the same for Beast.
This all begs the question: who is editing this supposedly mapped out and planned event?
As I've said before, my rather limited comic budget has forced me to cut out X-Men Legacy and Avengers Academy . . . but maybe someday!
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Post by woodside on Jun 25, 2012 19:52:17 GMT -5
Cautious optimism?
I don't know. I probably won't buy it. Besides AvsX and some X-Men trades, I've been inconsistent in my comic buying since "Siege" in 2009 (10? 11?). Beyond my slow burn out on super-hero titles, the financial pressures of parenthood (and adulthood in general) makes comic buying extremely difficult.
The end of Bendis may just be the end of my Avengers adventure. At least in new issues (I am interesting in reading older Avengers issues -- as evidenced in my Avengers Volume Three thread).
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