22JUN
 

Marvel

This category is for the main Marvel universe. It will have all the comics I reviewed in the main continuity listed here.  Not included are anything thats outside of the main Marvel Universe such as the “Ultimate”, or “What-If’s” The main marvel universe in world is referred to as Earth-616. Other marvel continuity’s will have there own Parent to keep them separate.

Tales to Astonish #58
The Magician and The Maiden

March 20, 2013 | Drew | (No Comments)
Tales To Astonish 58

Just like last month, we again have the wasp acting on her own, to be the hero.  this time against the Magician;  a villain that was captured a few months before in Tales To Astonish # 56‘s feature story titled “The Coming Of The Magician!”. that time, the wasp proved to be  a damsel in distress, this time however she shows us how she can fight crime, even without the aid of Ant-Man (whom was written out of this adventure in quite a fitting way) .

Larry Lieber proved once again, that he is quite good at doing both the artwork , and the scrip of his stories, as everything fit together quite nicely.  This tale also fits nicely after the last, with the wasp sporting her new uniform!  Having good art, and good story, what was this tale missing? Very little..  in fact if anything it only had a bit too much,  giving the magician things that seemed much more like real magic then he had in this first tale.  Leaving this tale as a better story then the feature of this issue.

Categories: Marvel , Tales To Astonish , The Wonderful Wasp Tells A Tale

Tales To Astonish #58
The Coming Of... Colossus

| Drew | (No Comments)
Tales To Astonish 58

For tales To astonish’s feature story we have Giant-Man and the The wasp take on Colossus, a giant twice the size of Gaint-Man!  But in this trilling adventure taking place in the made up Bora-Boru Region of Africa, where a group of natives have taken to worshiping the 30 foot tall Colossus, can  Giant man manage to vanquish his foe?   Also In this issue, we have a new method for our hero’s to change their size,  as Hank Pym managed to modify his cybernetic helmet to aid him and thus allow size changes to happen at the speed of thought.   Lastly, the wasp gets a new costume in this issue;   one that Captain America in his all to short appearance takes a liking too.

(more…)

Categories: Marvel , Tales To Astonish , Ant-man / Giant-Man

Avengers: Season One

March 19, 2013 | Drew | (No Comments)
Avengers Season One

While I was not expecting more Season One books, after last years batch, I was pleased when I learned that there would be – at least a few –  more this year.    So I found myself waiting with great anticipation and curiously  as my chance to read Avengers: Season One grew closer.

However with this one, I was not sure what to expect or hope for; the avengers don’t really have a shared Origin as individual’s, but their team most certainly does have one.  But how could and how would one go about retelling, modernizing the classic tale, and give a feeling of the early  Avenger’s. I really had no idea what to expect.

In fact, this one is  much like the Hulk: Season One  and Doctor Strange: Season One.  as opposed to Fantastic Four’s and the X-men’s  season one titles; in that it’s not so much  a retelling of classic stories, or even a filling of the gap’s between those early issues, as it is a new adventure worked into (and likely inspired by)  one or more of the early issues. (more…)

Categories: Marvel , Season One

Journey Into Mystery #108
Loki Prince of Evil!

March 18, 2013 | Drew | (No Comments)
Journey Into Mystery 108

With  Journey Into Mystery #108, featuring The Might Thor in the story titled “Loci Prince Of Evil!”  We have  a story consisting of 3 grand scenes, starting off with Thor saving a young boy via a hammer strike from afar.. and then  Thor / Don Blake working to save the life in the OR of another marvel hero, One Doctor Strange!  Lastly we have Loki facing off against Thor in a scheme that is more direct than what has been attempted in the last 8 issues – where we had Loki working more behind the scenes manipulating other villains.  But is this epic battle, everything it could be and should be? I will get into that down below. (more…)

Categories: Marvel , Journey Into Mystery , Thor
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X-Men #7
The Return of the Blob

March 8, 2013 | Drew | (No Comments)
X-men 7

X-Men #7 offered us a bit of everything, from character development, so story development as our hero’s move along the  course of their early adventures.  In this tale The original X-men Graduate, and all in only seven issues.  But now, they are left alone – as Professor X leaves them for tasks unknown –  to protect the world under the leadership of Cyclops.  If you think things can’t get any tougher for the young mutants, this issue features the Blob as a new member of the Evil Mutants.

Can the X-men Stop Magneto, Toad, Mastermind, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, and the Blob, all without the help of their beloved Professor Xavier?  Will the blob remain loyal to the brother hood of Evil Mutants?   these questions and more are addressed in X-Men #7, but the issue also does a wonderful job leaving us to wonder: What business called Professor Xavier away? That will just have to be saved for a future story…  (more…)

Categories: Marvel , Uncanny X-men
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Journey Into Mystery #107
When The Gray Gargoyle Strikes

March 7, 2013 | Drew | (No Comments)
Journey Into Mystery 107

After the two-part team up between Mr. Hyde and The Cobra, we get a new menace for Thor to deal with; and all without the apparent tampering of his brother Loki in the background – that being something that has been more often than not for about the last seven issues. But the new menace – whom has the power to turn anything he touches into stone that he gained during a lab accident – has ambitious goals of immortality and even greater power for himself. In fact he see’s defeating Thor and claiming Thor’s mightily hammer as a means to his goals. No matter how delusional his plan may be the Gray Gargoyle proves to be quite a real threat for the Asgardian God.    But what of the events of the last two issues? what of Jane Foster’s feeling of Don Blake betraying Thor? is continuity addressed or left forgotten? more on that below.  (more…)

Categories: Marvel , Journey Into Mystery , Thor
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Daredevil #3
Daredevel Battles The Owl, Ominous Overlord Of Crime!

March 6, 2013 | Drew | (No Comments)
Daredevil 3

with the 3rd issue of Daredevil gets his first - own -  super villain,  the Owl. The Owl is a man of great wealth and power but seeks more as the law uncovers his illegal activities he goes fully underground and develops a plan to lead him to running the underworld.  Can daredevil put a stop to it? or will he end up being an unwilling part of it after being captured with Karen Page.  Further more can he maintain a separation between Daredevil and Matt Murdock in Karen’s mind while helping her escape?   these are all the drama points that the book asks, and then responds to for us as we read this story. but now for one of my own, is it well done, or does it resemble too many other similar stories?  The response to that question as well as thoughts about much more follows in this comic book review.  (more…)

Categories: Marvel , Daredevil

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1
The Sinister Six

March 5, 2013 | Drew | (No Comments)
Amazing Spider-Man Annual 1

The Main story  featuring the newly formed Sinister Six made up the first 41 pages of  this now classic Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1.  But what an amazing 41 pages it was, featuring the teaming up, and defeat of Six spider-Man villains,  Fifteen cameo appearances by other marvel Super Hero’s,  and included scenes with no less than six major supporting cast members for spider-man. It’s amazing a story so large could fit in so few pages,  and include so much without being overwhelming.   In fact, it almost felt overwhelming by the end!

But can such an epic story, with so many characters live up to the hype that comes with an annual issue of its day?  or is it just an average story; and a clever marketing campaign for all the other marvel books and hero’s of the day?  Lastly is there room for Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 to be both amazing and great marketing? (more…)

Categories: Marvel , Amazing Spider-Man

Iron Man #2
Believe 2 of 5: A Gentleman's Wager

December 4, 2012 | Drew | (No Comments)
Iron Man 2

The first issue of this story arc left me undecided on how to feel,  with art that did not appeal to me on many levels and a story that I was not sure was anything but average.  Now I sit down to write my comic book review of the 2nd issue, and the second part of the story “A Gentleman’s Wager”   this one taking Tony Stark to Symkaria to face off against a group calling themselves the circle.  (for those who need to know Symkaria is a fictional nation that borders the fictional nation of Latveria, in the proximity of western Europe near Hungry. ) In this issue, Iron Man responds to  an invitation from the circle to Symkaria for a chance to win just what he seeks; the elimination of Extremis. All he has to do is win at a tournament.   But does this challenge make for a compelling story, or is this just status Que like the first part? or perhaps worse?  (more…)

Categories: Marvel , Iron Man

Captain America #1
Castaway In Dimension Z Chapter One

November 28, 2012 | Drew | (No Comments)
Captain America 1

This adventure starts back with a flashback to 1926 and a scene featuring Steve Rodgers as a child still, leaning a valuable life changing lesson from his mother.  The scene, taking place over 3 pages is one that is absolutely heartbreaking, it is a scene that I can’t help but feel would be a life changing experience for any boy, but most of all, it is one that helps us understand Captain America’s thought pattern in the story to come.  This tale being just Chapter One of a  new story;  sets us up in a setting where Captain America will find himself in another dimension,  facing Zola. But I find that this, as with everything is unlikely to prove to be that simple.  (more…)

Categories: Marvel , Captain America
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