Age of X: Alpha
Marvel Comics
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The Age of X: Alpha takes our favorite mutants to a reality where the world “fears and hates” them. Times infinity.
This issue is an anthology, written by Mike Carey, that introduces readers to the characters and the world they inhabit. What a world. The book serves as a prologue to the action. We get something of a who’s who of the characters with the most time given to Cyclops, Cannonball, Dr. Rao, Wolverine and Magneto. The X-Men—looking a little different and acting a little different as they sit around the fire and share personal stories—each drawn by a different artist.
The best sequence features Cyclops—known as Basilisk in this story—who is held in a Mutant prison run by Arcade. His eyelids have been cut off and he is forced to murder mutants with an awful mask that opens at Arcade’s control. This is a far cry from Utopia folks. It will be interesting to see how Scott’s persona plays out over the course of the series. The worst story, mainly because of its protagonist’s distracting behavior, features Cannonball and his sister Husk.
The art in the main story was gorgeous by Mirco Pierfederici. I don’t buy variant covers unless that is all that is available but the Olivier Coipel cover is beautiful.
X-Men #7
Marvel Comics
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Victor Gischler is writing an accessible X-Men that even casual readers could pick up and enjoy. For fans who have kept the X-Men in their periphery, this book is easy to follow in that the team is not full of obscure characters. I enjoy Gischler’s writing. It’s humorous and he seems to get these characters. One of my minor gripes about his first arc is that he had some characters present, but just standing around. Here we only have a handful of the core team and it doesn’t feel overstuffed.
Marvel Comics
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Victor Gischler is writing an accessible X-Men that even casual readers could pick up and enjoy. For fans who have kept the X-Men in their periphery, this book is easy to follow in that the team is not full of obscure characters. I enjoy Gischler’s writing. It’s humorous and he seems to get these characters. One of my minor gripes about his first arc is that he had some characters present, but just standing around. Here we only have a handful of the core team and it doesn’t feel overstuffed.
I like the evolution of the team into superheroes—because for me, this makes sense. I hope this is something carries through the X-books because the “world that fears and hates them” stuff can be redundant.
There is a nice scene between Scott and Logan that establishes Logan’s respect for Scott as a leader. I’ve been responding to Gischler and Fraction’s handling of Cyclops because they’ve been writing Scott as a stronger character—he’s more charismatic than he’s ever been. For me, Cyclops has always been one of those characters that the fans love but the fascination has eluded me.
Chris Bachalo’s art is very nice in this issue. I have not always loved his work because I’ve had a difficult time distinguishing what is going on. Perhaps it is because he is also handling the coloring on the title, but his work is clear and very dynamic. Bachalo’s scenes in the sewers played to his strengths. I loved his Wolverine—hunched over like an animal, trying to track their prey. His mask even looked fearsome.
Thunderbolts #152
Marvel Comics
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This is my first issue of Thunderbolts and I enjoyed the book enormously. My only other Jeff Parker book has been his current run on Hulk, which is one of my favorite reads.
While there was nothing extremely flashy about the story Parker is telling, it’s a fun ride with a great bunch of anti-heroes. How can you not like a book that features super-powered characters trying to take down marching dinosaurs?
I fell instantly in love with the snarky Moonstone and I’m always pleased to read something with Juggernaut in it. There’s a great line where he fails to quell a dinosaur’s attack of a building and he says “ah hell… I hope that place was evacuated.”
Kev Walker’s artwork is sharp—this guy likes to draw monsters. Some of it reminded me of Adam Kubert. The entire action sequence is excellent and his facial expressions clearly convey the characters’ thoughts when required to do so.
The New Avengers #8
Marvel Comics
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Brian Michael Bendis writes another strong issue of this series. This my favorite of his two Avengers books primarily because he seems to have a real affinity for these characters.
This, like the last issue, relies on dialogue, which is the writer’s strength. The first half of the book follows two characters of the Avengers on a date night: Luke Cage and Jessica Jones. Luke asks Jessica to take his name now that they’re married. His superhero name. Would that make Jewel her maiden superhero name?
Some people do not care for Daniel Acuna, but I have enjoyed his distinctive work. There’s a full page scene with several word balloons between Luke and Jessica. The page is lovely to look at and a testament to Bendis’ dialogue—especially as she questions her capability to be a hero and her responsibility to her daughter that I found to be the most powerful part of this scene.
The story jumps into high octane action when a Doombot arbitrarily attacks New York. I say arbitrarily because a pretty lazy explanation is given by Victoria Hand as to why the Doombot happened to appear.
Detective Comics
DC Comics #873
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The Batman renaissance continues in this issue as Batman faces off against the Dealer, an auctioneer of criminal memorabilia. Scott Snyder is in competition with Grant Morrison to write the best Bat-book because this first arc has been knocking me out from start to finish.
The opening sequence in which Dick has been drugged is powerful. I have always loved the idea that Batman will find a solution when faced with an impossible situation, and he was in last month’s cliffhanger. Dick narrates the opening, he reflects on life as an acrobat and uses that knowledge to survive poisoning by the villain and an attack by Gotham’s well-to-do.
The artwork by Jock is nightmarish, with the citizens of Gotham looking feral as we see things from Dick’s point of view. The continued shots of the famous crowbar that killed Jason Todd, the featured artifact from the last issue, are disturbing as you can see the top of it is stained with blood.
Snyder writes a frightening dream sequence in which Dick wakes up without legs which is made even more powerful by Jocks pencils. Seeing Barbara Gordon slithering across the ground to kill Dick with a knife is intense and creepy as hell.
Action Comics #897
DC Comics
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In last month’s issue of this Lex Luthor storyline, it crossed my mind that Lex’s search for the Black Lantern power source has been going on a mite long. This was confirmed when I noticed that this issue served as part eight.
However, after a few pages of reading I thought, “When are Lex and Joker going to get a book?”
Paul Cornell has a wonderful sense of humor and he uses it to great effect to write an evil, but funny, Joker. Lex has come to Arkham Asylum because he has been led to another black sphere that has manifested in Joker’s holding cell.
The book is really just a great exchange between the arch villains of comicdom’s two greatest heroes. Joker can be evil: “I once boiled a baby in front of the father. And made him drink the soup.” Joker can be funny: “You know what? I think if I can kill Batman I’ll save the world!” he says to Luthor who does not immediately realize he is being mocked.
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