Day 91: Four-Color Funnybooks for 06-07-08
Interesting week, as mentioned yesterday, Scud invades Heaven and ends his tale; the Skrulls launch shock troops into the heart of NYC; the Boys keep pissing off all the superheroes; Buffy makes war on Japanese ninja vampires; Nova takes on Galactus; and Iron Man loses his swerve.
All that and more after the jump.
The Mighty Avengers # 13 - Nick Fury continues his covert war against the Skrulls, this time sending out the last SHIELD agent he can trust to round up super-powered beings that wouldn’t be Skrull targets. Daisy, the girl with earthquake powers who looks a lot like Angelina Jolie from Hackers (hotness) goes around talking to people you’ve never seen before. As a part of a greater whole this is a really interesting issue. As something you read apart from everything else, it’s a little slow as we don’t know any of the characters drafted except Ares’ son and Layla Miller from X-Factor. Layla says no, the mutants need her, but Ares’ son was a really cool reveal, and I can’t believe I never thought he’d be Phobos, the god of fear. Really, this is just moving pieces around the board, and if you don’t want to buy every little piece, this is one you can skip as the next time we see them, there will probably be a recap.
The Boys #18 - Thank God nothing happened to the hamster. Seriously, thank you, Ennis, for not hurting the hamster. This issue feels like it’d be the end of the first season if this was a TV show. We put any new and big plot lines on the back burner, wrap up some dangling ones, and get us set up for the future. It’s a little disappointing not finding out how exactly MM gets his powers (which I’m positive will be disgusting) or see more of Hughie and Starlight, but them’s the breaks.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 #14 - The slayer army and Dracula prepares to storm a skyscraper staffed exclusively by vampires with superpowers. This issue is as tense and exciting as the previous two were funny, but like everything Joss Whedon has ever been a part of, the point is driven home that NO ONE CAN EVER BE HAPPY.
The Invincible Iron Man #1 - The adjective-less Iron Man title deals with him being the head of SHIELD and the politics that would entail. This title is more of Stark as a superhero. Now, if the Knauf’s were slightly better writers, could they do both in their title? Possibly. Is this for the people who saw the movie, and want an Iron Man closer to the movie, making this title a cash-in? Of course. Does the world need another Iron Man title? Perhaps not. Does this being written by Matt Fraction negate all of that and make this an exciting and well-written comic filled with action and intrigue?
Absolutely.
The last year or so of continuity has dealt with Tony being so far ahead of the curve that he has no peer to talk to, because in terms of his physical and mental attributes he’s humanity, fully integrated into technology, and five hundred years in the future, but in this one issue, he’s been usurped. Humankind can now make the big leap forward, and Stark won’t be the one leading them. Salvador Larroca’s pencils are clean and crisp, and I’m digging D’armata and Peru on colors. This could join Nova, Hercules, and Iron Fist as some of Marvel’s best current books.
Nova #13 - Still one of Marvel’s most solid titles, this issue has Nova contending with a serial killer that can leap between bodies while leading the mass evacuation of planet being consumed by Galactus. It’s a return to form for the book as the last couple of issues dealt with Nova fighting off an aggressive virus trying to take over his mind, and returns him back to his status as the universe’s only sheriff. Great last page, this story arc should be a good one.
Scud the Disposable Assassin #24 - I couldn’t have asked for a better final issue.
Secret Invasion #2 - Maybe I was spoiled by everything that happened in the last issue, but this one’s focus on only one of the storylines made it seem really slow, and it barely advanced the plot. If you want to be up to speed in the Marvel U, you have to buy this, but really, there’s nothing here that couldn’t have been done in last issue’s double sized format.
What’s really funny is that in almost every interview he’s done recently, he talks about how pissed he is at being the poster boy for decompression and dragging out stories; then he mentions all the lessons on pacing and expectations that he learned from the House of M arc and yet, here we are.
So, what did you read this week?
Matt