Post-Crisis Comic Book Previews for 04/16/08

Busy week in comics coming up, mostly dominated by Marvel, that features some gems, such as Captain America, the conclusion to the not-so annihilating Annihlation Conquest and an all-star creative ensemble cast for X-Men: Divided We Stand. DC's got mostly ancillary Bat-titles, like Catwoman, Outsiders and Gotham Underground, and that's about it.

I'm really looking forward to the X-Men special. The creative force behind that title is incredible and if you're a New X-Men fan, it's probably the last chance to see a Yost or Kyle penned tale. Even Skottie Young gets in on the action with a New X-Men story of his own. On top of that, Jaime McKelvie is doing the art for one of the stories. He's from Suburban Glamour and Phonogram fame and I can't wait to see some mainstream work from him. So, yeah, even my love of stuff like Cap or Annihilation can't stem my anticipation for this book.

Anyways, Pittsburg / Ottawa game is on. Enjoy the previews!

ANNIHILATION: CONQUEST #6
Written by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art by Wellinton Alves & Tom Raney

This is it: Marvel’s rag-tag group of sci-fi heroes vs. Ultron – in a double-sized finale! The surviving warriors face-off on the battlefield, with the fate of the entire Kree Empire – and perhaps the Earth itself – at stake! Who will fall? Who will rise to become a legend? It’s an extra helping of adventure, humor, drama and eye-candy that IGN.com calls “one of the best event books of the year.”

Kirk Says: Conquest started strong, in my opinion, but has faltered along the stretch. It's not bad, but it's not the space epic that the first Annihilation was. If this was just a regular, non-event / hyped story, I think it would be lauded for how great it was.

However, it's not a small mini-series or Nova storyline and it's looking like it might fizzle out by leaving all the resolutions to the last minute for this rather pedestrian trip through space. It's double sized, though, so they could turn this around for a spectacular finish. I think I'll enjoy it either way, but the inevitable comparisons to the first Annihilation will probably be the death of this event in the eyes of most people.


AVENGERS: THE INIATIVE #11
Written by Dan Slott
Art by Stefano Caselli

"Killed in Action" Part 4 of 4
Worst Case Scenario
By now you know who KIA is, what he wants, and who he's killed.
Initiative regulars, new recruits, and big name characters: no one's been safe. And that's never been more true than here at the bitter end. Join what's left of the Initiative as they and the MIGHTY AVENGERS try to stop their greatest threat.

Kirk Says: This is the best Avengers book on the market and seems to have taken the place of New X-Men in my heart now that it's gone. My only problem is the early New X-Men-like cannon fodder. Killing can be great and add tension. The first MVP death had a lot of impact. However, I think it's time someone reigned in Slott and keep him from tapping that well too often. Maybe with the addition of Gage, they can avoid those pitfalls.

Still, this KIA storyline has been great. Cloud 9, Hardball and Komodo have all had great character defining moments. We even got to see a New Warriors reunion. As long as Slott and Gage don't toss these characters aside and replace them with new recruits or write them out of the series, this should remain one of my favourite books.


BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #6
Written by Chuck Dixon
Art by Carlos Rodriguez and Bit

As the Outsiders perform a search-and-rescue mission for missing member Metamorpho, Batman and his team stumble into a terrifying conspiracy that begins at the edge of outer space…and goes far beyond!

Kirk Says: Batman & The Outsiders is a guilty pleasure for me. I like all the characters, it's got decent writing and art and it's the equivilent of a summer action flick. I don't pretend or imagine that it's All-Star Superman or anything, but I enjoy it nonetheless.

However, I don't know if I like this talk of cosmic conspiracies and menaces. The team should be left grounded in the more black ops / behind the scenes stuff. Once you start stopping cosmic threats, it kind of defeats the purpose of a team that "does things the JLA and JSA can't do due to political and public opinions".


CAPTAIN AMERICA #37
Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Steve Epting & Jackson Guice

ACT THREE OF "THE EPIC THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN AMERICA" STORY BEGINS!
With a new Cap now established, things go from bad to worse as the Red Skull makes an unexpected move for the very soul of America! And what was it that Sharon Carter saw at the end of the last issue? Act Three - The Man Who Bought America - begins here! By the most popular Cap team in years - Brubaker and Epting!

Kirk Says: I sound like a broken record, but this is the best super-hero book on the market. It doesn't matter if you're a Marvel or DC fan or if you hate Captain America as a character, this book is amazing and you shouldn't let past prejudices get in the way of enjoying something as epic as this.

That said, the current storyline is a bit slow right now. I understand why Brubaker is doing it, but this slowburn, made for trades feel as he builds up Bucky as the new Cap is painfully slow in monthly form. It's not painful in that the story is bad, but in that I have to wait another month between issues to continue. We'll hopefully get to see what the real deal with the Steve Rogers in the vat from last issue. I don't think we'll get a clone, but I know it's not the real Steve, so we'll have to wait and see.


CAPTAIN MARVEL #5
Written by Brian Reed
Art by Lee Weeks

The end is here. The truth of Mar-Vell's trip to the future is revealed once and for all. Brian Reed (MS. MARVEL) and Lee Weeks (INCREDIBLE HULK) bring the last chapter of Captain Marvel's saga to light as the Secret Invasion begins.

Kirk Says: The first three issue's of this series was great and, after that Skrull reveal at the end of number three, I thought four would be the best yet. Unfortunately, the train went of the tracks last issue. Let's hope the final issue tells us why Marvel attacked T-bolts mountain in Secret Invasion #1 and explains all this painting nonsense and who Cap really is.



CATWOMAN #78
Written by Will Pfeifer
Art by David Lopez and Alvaro Lopez

Catwoman's way off the Hell Planet is set and ready to go, but first she'll have to deal with the villains she's crossed. And she's crossed a lot of villains. Line forms to the left…let's start with the bloodthirsty, claw-wielding, kill-happy Cheetah!

Kirk Says: Only one or two more issues of this Salvation Run nonsense. Pfeifer has done a good job of making a mandatory tie-in not feel like a tie-in, but this is definitely the low point in the series, all due to DiDio. Hopefully the tie-ins lead to more readers, as this is a great series outside of the tie-ins.


COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS #2
Story by Paul Dini
Story consulting by Keith Giffen
Script by Sean McKeever
Art by Jesus Saiz and Jimmy Palmiotti

The Great Disaster has occurred, and all hell breaks loose as all the storylines in COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS come to a climax, threatening Darkseid and Jimmy Olsen and Mary Marvel and the future of their Earth!

Kirk Says: 52 ends with World War III as Black Adam commits genocide, wiping out an entire country, and battles all the world's heroes and then goes on to recreate the Multiverse with a cosmic football toss of epic proportions. Countdown? It shits all over the Multiverse and gives us an "epic" battle between Darkseid and...Jimmy "Turtle Boy" Olsen. You can't see me, but I'm facepalming right now.


GOTHAM UNDERGROUND #7 (OF 9)
Written by Frank Tieri
Art by J. Calafiore and Jack Purcell

It's fireworks in Gotham City's underground scene as Penguin's troops take it straight to Tobias Whale's front door — and Vigilante decides to take on both armies himself! Meanwhile, Nightwing is saved by a mysterious yet familiar benefactor! All of this, plus appearances by Batman, Robin and Commissioner Gordon!

Kirk Says: Another guilty pleasure from the Bat-family, Gotham Underground, while nowhere near perfect, has been fun for fans of any of the characters featured here. Bane has been written perfectly and I haven't been this impressed with him since Knightfall or his 4 part battle with Azrael in the mid-30's of Azrael's solo title. The return of Spoiler hasn't been explained here yet, so I assume it's been handed off to Robin's book. Considering this all takes place before Salvation Run, it's pretty obvious how most of this takes place. Still, not the worst book you could be saddled with.


INCREDIBLE HERCULES #116
Written by Fred Van Lente & Greg Pak
Art by Rafa Sandoval

Is Hercules a Skrull? Maybe. But is he an Eternal? Ikaris and Thena certainly think so, and they may just kill Herc to prove it!

Kirk Says: I like the Eternals. I like Hercules. I want to see more of both. I'm picking this book up. I gave up on this book a little prematurely with my annoyance over the way Cho acts, but, when he isn't opening his mouth, this book is great. Look forward to this, but little leary of the whole God Squad thing coming up.






IRON MAN #28
Written by Daniel & Charles Knauf
Art by Roberto De La Torre

Tony Stark is losing his mind and his freedom. Maya Hansen is becoming a pawn in the Mandarin’s genocidal game. And the leaders of S.H.I.E.L.D. are under house arrest, unable to take any action. With the international community about to decide their fate, Iron Man and his allies are in deep…so deep, we’ll need a double-sized issue to reveal what happens next!

Kirk Says: Iron Man has been incredible since Civil War ended. It really gets a bum wrap based on the way Tony is represented as some neo fascists dick in every other book besides this one and Captain America. It's also a little hard to get into for a new reader, as the Knaufs, while telling a great story, don't hold your hand or give us filler or "decompressed" stories full of exposition to recap old plot points.

However, if you can spare a few bucks and grab four or five backissues or a trade, you can really get dragged into this political thriller of a story. The recent battle with the Mandarin was one of the best payoffs in a storyline and just an awesome battle between the two archnemesis.


X-FACTOR #30
Written by Peter David
Art by Valentine De Landro

THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN, PART 3 OF 5
As Rictor faces down death underneath a rapidly lowering, swinging blade, the rest of the team finds themselves in a Mutant Town transformed into the vicious Murderworld of the diabolical ARCADE! But who has hired the red-haired assassin to take out our heroes? This issue ends with an explosive finale that will literally change the landscape of New York City.

Kirk Says: X-Factor is getting back to its old self after months of crossover madness where the book barely featured any of the X-Factor cast. Not a fan of Arcade, but I have faith in PAD, so this should be good regardless. To be honest, I just want to see more development on Layla's eventual return or rescue from the future.


X-MEN: DIVIDED WE STAND BOOK 1 #1
Written by Mike Carey, Matt Fraction, Craig Kyle, Chris Yost & Skottie Young
Art by Brandon Peterson, Jamie McKelvie, Sana Takeda & Skottie Young

In the wake of Messiah CompleX, there are no X-Men. But where does that leave the mutants that WERE X-Men? Some of the industry’s hottest creators bring you stories of your favorite mutants. Mike Carey (X-MEN, ULTIMATE FF) and Brandon Peterson (ULTIMATE EXTINCTION) bring you a tale of Cannonball and Husk. Matt Fraction (PUNISHER: WAR JOURNAL, IRON FIST) and Jamie McKelvie (Suburban Glamour, Phonogram) tell a story about Nightcrawler. Craig Kyle & Christ Yost (X-FORCE) and Sana Takeda (Drain) take you to Wakanda for a tale of Storm, Black Panther and Neznho. And Skottie Young (NEW X-MEN) writes and draws a story about your favorite New X-Man Anole.

Kirk Says: I'm not a fan of the kicking to the curb the old status quo of the X-titles, but just look at that list of creators for this book. It's ridiculously good. Based on the previews, this is probably the only place you'll see a quality take on the former New X-Men members from Yost, Kyle and Young and it also has freaking Jamie McKelvie on art chores. I think I only reviewed the first one or two issues of his recent Suburban Glamour, but it was a great indy title that many probably skipped and I'm looking forward to his mainstream work.

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