And, now, it's time for the rest of the weekly reviews in the Quick (and not-so quick) Shot Reviews. I also picked up a couple books that I must have missed in the previews, namely the conclusion to the Legion story in Action Comics and Cable #2 to see how Bishop survived Messiah Complex. I won't spend too much time chatting, so hit the jump for the rest of this week's reviews.
ACTION COMICS #863
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Gary Frank
This marks the final chapter for the Legion storyline and the last time I'll be picking this title up for a while. It has nothing to do with this issue, in particular, but I hopped on for Frank's art and this hyped Legion storyline and wasn't planning to stick along forever from the get go.
This issue, as I said, is the final chapter to this storyline and features the entire Legion versus Earth-Man. It started out with him trying to kill the powerless Superman, but Brainiac manages to free Sun Boy in time and our sun returns to it's yellow status. I won't bother trying to figure out how the sunlight reached Earth instantly to give Superman his powers back before he smeared on the pavement, as this is comic book science, but this was about as predictable a turn out as could be imagined.
From there, all the Legion members take turns trying to stop Earth-Man, who has all of their powers and then some at his disposal. It was a basic, "hey, we have powers, look at us!", scene where they end up all failing to stop him. This leads to Superman punching him once to knock him out and ending the threat. Way to kill any credibility Earth-Man or the Legion has by making them all look like fools, Kal. Felt like a rushed ending to a very Silver Age-esque story.
Verdict - Check It
CABLE #2
Written by Duane Swierczynski
Art by Ariel Olivetti
I didn't like issue one and I knew I wouldn't like this one, either, but I had to know how Bishop survived Messiah Complex and how he managed to find Cable in the myriad possibilities of the future. I'll say it now. I wish had I never bought this book and it doesn't deserve to even be on the shelf.
Bishop cauterized the missing arm wound on Sunfire's flaming body. This was the only rather intelligent solution in this and makes a bit of sense. From here, he picks up a gun, lines up with Cable to shoot him and the events from Messiah Complex play out. It was pretty funny seeing the artist draw Xavier and Cyclops off to the side as Cable is teleporting and the next panel with Xavier with a bullet in his head. Bad aim or Xavier just jumped in the way? I'll go with bad art.
After Cyclops shoots Bishop with his optic blast, Bishop dusts himself off and starts walking from Muir Island all the way back to America to break into Forge's lab. Let's not forget he just did this a few issues ago in MC and Forge is up and about like nothing happened and didn't bother setting up any security to prevent the exact same thing from happening. But, hey, Bishop shoots him in the back again and pillages his lab for a new arm. Yes, Forge has a wall of random cybernetic arms, conveniently labelled and ready for someone to equip to their recently removed arm. They're all right arms as well.
Bishop takes the Nuclear-Powered Battle-Ready Arm (batteries not included) and, with his complete lack of scientific knowledge, jury rigs a time travel device to his Nuclear-Powered Battle-Ready Arm. A time machine. The time travelling only works from the place you travel from, so he went back to Muir Island and kept leaping ahead in time, I assume daily, although it lists a few random years, until he finds a can of condensed baby milk in the rubble. This tells him Cable is in this time and he just starts tracking him through a convenient set of clues. When he finally catches up to Cable, he finds out he left the diner from last issue the day before. Bishop just jumps back in time a day and waits for him. That's how he got the jump on Cable. A billion different time travel jumps from his Nuclear-Powered Battle-Ready Arm.
Oh, and the new arm isn't the only thing Bishop has. His mutant power to absorb energy? Well, he can now use that to lift 18 wheeler trucks into the air and drop them on top of Cable. Cable's solution to get out of the way was to try and time jump, himself, but his is conveniently broken.
Terrible story, terrible art, horrendous dialogue and the most retarded explanations ever imaginable and time travel logic that makes my head spin make this one of the worst books I've ever read. Why didn't Bishop just go back in time and kill the freaking baby's mother when no one was around? He knew where it took place. He could warp in, kill the mother and warp out, no fuss, no muss. Since when can you time travel at will like this? Why doesn't he just go into the future and double check and see if the girl kills everyone and is the anti-Christ he thinks it is? Why the million jumps to find Cable and these retarded plot twists? I give up. I could keep this up all day.
Verdict - Avoid It
LOGAN #2
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Eduardo Risso
I like this mini-series from BKV and Risso, but it feels like these should just be random Wolverine: Origins stories instead of off on its own. I know I wouldn't want to be associated with W:O, but this book is exactly what Origins should be like. It would also give them time to flesh this story out a bit more.
Logan hooked up with yet another Japanese woman in the first issue and they have some light pillow talk the next morning before Lt. Warren, no relation, returns to kill Logan and his new woman for being traitors and spies. He "kills" Logan first and has a short fight with Atsuko before he stabs her in the chest, killing her.
These leads to a new fight with Logan, as he recovers from the bullet in the head, where we find out Lt. Warren is a mutant as well with similar powers to Logan. Instead of regeneration, I think Warren is either immortal or simply can feel no pain, as he doesn't recover from any of his wounds to my knowledge (it shows the sword wound in his chest unhealed). The fight is cut short as Hiroshima gets nuked into oblivion. Logan is the only one shown coming from the ashes, a pile of regenerating flesh.
I assume Warren is the fiery skeleton entity at the beginning of this chapter in present day, as well as from last issue, and it will be the result of something from this explosion.
As I said, it's a good story, but not for the pedigree of the book (Risso and BKV). Atsuko has appeared in maybe 4 or 5 pages total with Logan and a few more during her fight scene, leaving me with no attachment for her and not caring in the slightest that she was killed off. Similarly, Warren has almost no motivation for what he did and the conflict seems a bit forced. Finally, Risso felt the need to stamp his big signature logo on the bottom of just about every page, which was fairly distracting for some reason and completely unnecessary on his part. Seems like it was done just so he could resell the images on their own at a later date.
Still, it's an enjoyable enough read and I don't think you'd be remiss to go out and pick this up if you have a little extra cash. It won't be the most memoriable story and I doubt anyone will be talking about this in the future, but it's still a good book worth taking a look at it.
Verdict - Check It
NIGHTWING #143
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Don Kramer and Christian Alamy
I've given Nightwing a lot of praise with Tomasi's current run on the title and this issue continues the trend. It's not as good as the last two issues, but it's still leaps and bounds above anything from this title in the past couple years. This is an action packed issue that deals with the "zombie"-like resurrections that have been running in the background of the title since Tomasi came on board.
However, the action of this issue is the biggest detriment. Not on the art side, as Kramer does a great job, but just in the fact this grave robbing storyline has been rather boring and the worst part of the run. On top of that, we don't even finish that storyline, as the villain, who I still don't know if I'm supposed to recognize him (Nightwing didn't even know him), is as forgettable as the actual plot.
The thing that bolsters this issue is the very thing that has really wow'd me with this title of late - the characters. Nightwing and Robin have some great dialogue and they both have that big brother / little brother type feel to them. Some of opening jokes fall a little short, but, all in all, we read these books for the characters and Tomasi does a great job with both of them.
Verdict - Check It
YOUNG AVENGERS PRESENTS #3
Written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Art by Alina Urusov
Considering absolutely nothing happens in this issue, I actually liked it, for the most part. Speed, who desparately needs a new name, and Wiccan set out to find Scarlet Witch, their mother, because they've been having weird dreams about her. They check out Genosha and Wundagore Mountain and, finally, Scarlet Witch and Vision's old home in New Jersey.
There, they run into Master Pandemonium, who, after a brief confrontation, basically explains their origin, which we and they already knew, and then gives them some pep talk about enjoying their lives in the now, as the future is never certain.
To be honest, it was good seeing these characters, but I don't know how essential this issue is. There is no new material and only a brief search for Wanda. I did like the story, but I can't think of any truely high points in it that would be worth mentioning. The art was serviceable, but I'm not sure when Hulkling took the steroids and is now as big as a room.
Verdict - Check It
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Gary Frank
This marks the final chapter for the Legion storyline and the last time I'll be picking this title up for a while. It has nothing to do with this issue, in particular, but I hopped on for Frank's art and this hyped Legion storyline and wasn't planning to stick along forever from the get go.
This issue, as I said, is the final chapter to this storyline and features the entire Legion versus Earth-Man. It started out with him trying to kill the powerless Superman, but Brainiac manages to free Sun Boy in time and our sun returns to it's yellow status. I won't bother trying to figure out how the sunlight reached Earth instantly to give Superman his powers back before he smeared on the pavement, as this is comic book science, but this was about as predictable a turn out as could be imagined.
From there, all the Legion members take turns trying to stop Earth-Man, who has all of their powers and then some at his disposal. It was a basic, "hey, we have powers, look at us!", scene where they end up all failing to stop him. This leads to Superman punching him once to knock him out and ending the threat. Way to kill any credibility Earth-Man or the Legion has by making them all look like fools, Kal. Felt like a rushed ending to a very Silver Age-esque story.
Verdict - Check It
CABLE #2
Written by Duane Swierczynski
Art by Ariel Olivetti
I didn't like issue one and I knew I wouldn't like this one, either, but I had to know how Bishop survived Messiah Complex and how he managed to find Cable in the myriad possibilities of the future. I'll say it now. I wish had I never bought this book and it doesn't deserve to even be on the shelf.
Bishop cauterized the missing arm wound on Sunfire's flaming body. This was the only rather intelligent solution in this and makes a bit of sense. From here, he picks up a gun, lines up with Cable to shoot him and the events from Messiah Complex play out. It was pretty funny seeing the artist draw Xavier and Cyclops off to the side as Cable is teleporting and the next panel with Xavier with a bullet in his head. Bad aim or Xavier just jumped in the way? I'll go with bad art.
After Cyclops shoots Bishop with his optic blast, Bishop dusts himself off and starts walking from Muir Island all the way back to America to break into Forge's lab. Let's not forget he just did this a few issues ago in MC and Forge is up and about like nothing happened and didn't bother setting up any security to prevent the exact same thing from happening. But, hey, Bishop shoots him in the back again and pillages his lab for a new arm. Yes, Forge has a wall of random cybernetic arms, conveniently labelled and ready for someone to equip to their recently removed arm. They're all right arms as well.
Bishop takes the Nuclear-Powered Battle-Ready Arm (batteries not included) and, with his complete lack of scientific knowledge, jury rigs a time travel device to his Nuclear-Powered Battle-Ready Arm. A time machine. The time travelling only works from the place you travel from, so he went back to Muir Island and kept leaping ahead in time, I assume daily, although it lists a few random years, until he finds a can of condensed baby milk in the rubble. This tells him Cable is in this time and he just starts tracking him through a convenient set of clues. When he finally catches up to Cable, he finds out he left the diner from last issue the day before. Bishop just jumps back in time a day and waits for him. That's how he got the jump on Cable. A billion different time travel jumps from his Nuclear-Powered Battle-Ready Arm.
Oh, and the new arm isn't the only thing Bishop has. His mutant power to absorb energy? Well, he can now use that to lift 18 wheeler trucks into the air and drop them on top of Cable. Cable's solution to get out of the way was to try and time jump, himself, but his is conveniently broken.
Terrible story, terrible art, horrendous dialogue and the most retarded explanations ever imaginable and time travel logic that makes my head spin make this one of the worst books I've ever read. Why didn't Bishop just go back in time and kill the freaking baby's mother when no one was around? He knew where it took place. He could warp in, kill the mother and warp out, no fuss, no muss. Since when can you time travel at will like this? Why doesn't he just go into the future and double check and see if the girl kills everyone and is the anti-Christ he thinks it is? Why the million jumps to find Cable and these retarded plot twists? I give up. I could keep this up all day.
Verdict - Avoid It
LOGAN #2
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Eduardo Risso
I like this mini-series from BKV and Risso, but it feels like these should just be random Wolverine: Origins stories instead of off on its own. I know I wouldn't want to be associated with W:O, but this book is exactly what Origins should be like. It would also give them time to flesh this story out a bit more.
Logan hooked up with yet another Japanese woman in the first issue and they have some light pillow talk the next morning before Lt. Warren, no relation, returns to kill Logan and his new woman for being traitors and spies. He "kills" Logan first and has a short fight with Atsuko before he stabs her in the chest, killing her.
These leads to a new fight with Logan, as he recovers from the bullet in the head, where we find out Lt. Warren is a mutant as well with similar powers to Logan. Instead of regeneration, I think Warren is either immortal or simply can feel no pain, as he doesn't recover from any of his wounds to my knowledge (it shows the sword wound in his chest unhealed). The fight is cut short as Hiroshima gets nuked into oblivion. Logan is the only one shown coming from the ashes, a pile of regenerating flesh.
I assume Warren is the fiery skeleton entity at the beginning of this chapter in present day, as well as from last issue, and it will be the result of something from this explosion.
As I said, it's a good story, but not for the pedigree of the book (Risso and BKV). Atsuko has appeared in maybe 4 or 5 pages total with Logan and a few more during her fight scene, leaving me with no attachment for her and not caring in the slightest that she was killed off. Similarly, Warren has almost no motivation for what he did and the conflict seems a bit forced. Finally, Risso felt the need to stamp his big signature logo on the bottom of just about every page, which was fairly distracting for some reason and completely unnecessary on his part. Seems like it was done just so he could resell the images on their own at a later date.
Still, it's an enjoyable enough read and I don't think you'd be remiss to go out and pick this up if you have a little extra cash. It won't be the most memoriable story and I doubt anyone will be talking about this in the future, but it's still a good book worth taking a look at it.
Verdict - Check It
NIGHTWING #143
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Don Kramer and Christian Alamy
I've given Nightwing a lot of praise with Tomasi's current run on the title and this issue continues the trend. It's not as good as the last two issues, but it's still leaps and bounds above anything from this title in the past couple years. This is an action packed issue that deals with the "zombie"-like resurrections that have been running in the background of the title since Tomasi came on board.
However, the action of this issue is the biggest detriment. Not on the art side, as Kramer does a great job, but just in the fact this grave robbing storyline has been rather boring and the worst part of the run. On top of that, we don't even finish that storyline, as the villain, who I still don't know if I'm supposed to recognize him (Nightwing didn't even know him), is as forgettable as the actual plot.
The thing that bolsters this issue is the very thing that has really wow'd me with this title of late - the characters. Nightwing and Robin have some great dialogue and they both have that big brother / little brother type feel to them. Some of opening jokes fall a little short, but, all in all, we read these books for the characters and Tomasi does a great job with both of them.
Verdict - Check It
YOUNG AVENGERS PRESENTS #3
Written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Art by Alina Urusov
Considering absolutely nothing happens in this issue, I actually liked it, for the most part. Speed, who desparately needs a new name, and Wiccan set out to find Scarlet Witch, their mother, because they've been having weird dreams about her. They check out Genosha and Wundagore Mountain and, finally, Scarlet Witch and Vision's old home in New Jersey.
There, they run into Master Pandemonium, who, after a brief confrontation, basically explains their origin, which we and they already knew, and then gives them some pep talk about enjoying their lives in the now, as the future is never certain.
To be honest, it was good seeing these characters, but I don't know how essential this issue is. There is no new material and only a brief search for Wanda. I did like the story, but I can't think of any truely high points in it that would be worth mentioning. The art was serviceable, but I'm not sure when Hulkling took the steroids and is now as big as a room.
Verdict - Check It
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3 comments:
I think Marvel needs to put new people in charge of the X-Men. They have dropped the ball both after House of M and Messiah Complex, which is a shame.
I liked Action Comics more than you did. It is about Superman so having him stop Earth-Man(I hope Johns didn't come up with that horrible name) makes sense. What you think about the Final Crisis Legion tie-in. Also, Johns stated that the next issue of AC is actually an epilogue for the Legion arc so you might want to get it.
YA #3 was, unsurprisingly, an editorial fiasco. The story:
1) Got the location of the house Vizh, Wanda, and the twins lived in wrong; it was Leonia, NJ, not Cresskill, NJ.
2) Omitted Master Pandemonium’s encounter with Wanda in the SCARLET WITCH miniseries, which was just one of the occasions on which she remembered the children quite clearly.
3) Failed to provide any actual reason for why the boys should consider themselves Wanda’s children. Heinberg’s sequence in YA #11 is still meaningless gobbledygook.
SRS
I think the biggest reveal in YA was that Mephisto may somehow be involved with Speed & Wiccan's "survival>' That was new, right?
The thing that bugs me about them being Wanda's kids is their ages... how do they remember their lives, if they never "lived" them? and arenmt they concerned with their false memories? I would have rather seen this issue be about that -- are they "real" or magical constructs? The grapple with the idenity issues would have been better...
Sidenote, Hulkling's age also doesnt jibe, as the Kree-Skrull War was NOT 17 years ago, Marvel time. It's more like 5 years ago. How is Teddy 16? I assume it's one of those space-time things, like how someone can travel in space for 3 years and come back, and more time has passed on earth...
but can Marvel be bothered to explain some of these things? please!?
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