Shadowland #1

It’s easy in comics to observe pages and arcs of stories unfold with endless dramatic conclusions, only to have it all reset to a baseline norm for the continuity in question, rendering the entire ‘event’ null.  This can leave a reader jaded and skeptical.  This leads to grander and more dramatic events, with the same result.  An arms race develops between titles to have grander spectacles, only with equally grand resets.  To Brand New Day it, as it were.

Shadowland could be one of these things, but I hope so dearly it isn’t.  Matt Murdock is back from Japan and he’s guarding his people like Cerberus in front of Hades; Hell’s Kitchen hasn’t had it this good before, but some are worried that this is the tipping point to totalitarianism.  Regular peasantry this is not, the worried party in question is The Avengers.  Intentional capitalization.

To assess the level of discontent within Daredevil, Luke Cage and Iron Fist are dispatched to investigate.

Upon their arrival, the climax to the book, a certain ne’er-do-well gets what can only be called the epic treatment.  Upon gazing at this page, one should remember so much from a single image.  Do you need a reminder?  Try here.

I think it’s safe to assume Shadowland is the real thing.  A line has been crossed.  We can’t go back. -Bretzke

X-Men Forever 2, #2.

X-Men Forever 2 (The ongoing saga of forever) actually presents a decent read, but I can’t but help this is for the actual absence of any X-Men.

I know what you’re thinking when you look at the cover; did somebody fall asleep at the printing desk when this one was being approved.  Recent continuities may have revealed Spidey to have some mutant like powers, but he’s certainly no X-Man.

The book revolves around the mop up after the X-pronouns have vanished from the estate in an irradiated blast.  Various perspectives are explored from newscasters to the Avengers themselves, all wondering; where did the X-Men go?  Peter Parker gets involved via the Bugle and goes to explore.  Shenanigans ensue (some which re-write current understandings of the webbed wonder RE: mutant status.  Convenient!) but it’s later that evening that Spidey finds something he wasn’t expecting.

No prizes for guessing what (Cough who cough) this could be.  In honesty this is a readable book, but I can’t help but think this is one pearl in a whole ocean of putrid slime; it’s shiny and nice, but wow you have to wade through some rubbish to get to it.  Let us hold judgement for now on X-Men Forever 2 and wait to see what issue 3 brings.

In all honesty though, it’d better be amazing with the presence of actual X-Men to bring around this steamer of a book. -Bretzke.

New Avengers #1

There are two stories going on here.  One is the happy, sappy and overly cutesy way that Luke Cage comes to be in charge of the New Avengers, how he procures a magnificent mansion through the benefaction of one Tony Stark and how he goes about sniping different members of other teams, to make his own.  Including Wolverine, Thing and a few notable others.  It’s as though Luke was given free reign in the Avengers warehouse and walked out with a truckload.

The second story is the one you actually want to read.  In case you didn’t pick up the subtle subtext above, the first story is a bit crappy.  The second story is about an evil from beyond who appears to be taking out mystical users, initially making contact through Stephen Strange (Always good to see him) and works his way up to Brother Voodoo.  Of course these two stories are eventually going to coincide and this only bodes well for the first story, but is a stain on the second one.

Luke Cage doing mysticism is like a bull doing sudoku; inelegant and fairly smelly.

Granted the first story, that of origins should be pretty done by now, let us hope that the second story is the one that continues.  If this book continues playing happy families I will drop it faster than a rancid ham.

That’s fast. -Bretzke

This is therapy, Nick Fury style. But no, it’s not as cool as it sounds.

Dark Avengers #9

When you read X-Men, it comes in one of two forms; whiney people whining, or kick-ass combat. Thankfully this is the latter. The visuals are pleasing and dense without becomming confused. Certainly this isn’t world ending stuff, if anything it would have been nice to have more pages dedicated to the fisticuffs, but what you get satisfies. However the ending is, to say the least, weak. Aren’t we past this ploy yet? Apparently not. -Bretzke

Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men Exodus, Utopia Conclusion

This book is pretty sweet. A collection of stories that combine to tell the backstory of the Skrull’s fascination with Earth, going all the way back to Fantastic Four #2 (1972)–a goofy blast from the past. Check it out if you liked Secret Invasion, but avoided all the crossover stuff.

Secret Invasion - The Infiltration TPB

Simon Trask. Fearless leader. Protector of children. Taker of the moral high ground. Pederast? Probably. This book is sweet. Makes me almost forget how pissed I am that Fraction can’t work exclusively on Casanova. Now if I could just find/buy a damn copy of Uncanny #513, I’d be caught up.

Utopia - Chapter One

A low down dirty trick to say the least. In the dark about the whole Utopia thing, it took me a few pages to figure out what was going on (not the smoothest transition from Dark Avengers #6). And then they had the nerve to finish strong enough that I now want to go back and read what I’ve missed in Utopia 1 and 2 and Dark X-Men. These guys must know I had some cash set aside for Blackest Night.

Dark Avengers #7 / Utopia Chapter 3

Now let’s see, we’ve got skeletons in the closet, macho mano a mano chest pounding, dead otherworldly terrorists (including one particularly gruesome death), plus a little sexual tension sprinkled on top. I’d call this one a winner!

Dark Avengers #6

Infighting and interviews mixed with a little therapy. And then…huh!? The sea strikes back, for years of overfishing and habitat destruction, perhaps?

Dark Avengers #5