Secret Avengers #27 Captain Marvel Goes on the attack

May 23, 2012

Secret Avengers #27

Story By: Rick Remender

Art By: Renato Guedes

Rick Remender and Renato Guedes tie in to Avengers vs X-Men could stand as a solid event story on it own. Chances are if you’ve looked at any comic book sites you’ve seen that Remender has brought back the original Captain Mar-Vell to current continuity to be the Kree and the Supreme Intelligences Champion once more.

After the teams run in last issue with the Phoenix Force they are left battered and damaged and Captain Marvel uses his ties to The Protector and Ms. Marvel to take the remaining Avengers down. While the reasons and motivations for Mar-Vell’s turn back to the Kree are a mystery Remender does a fine job giving the reader definitie misdirection with Mar-Vell as he explains his last moments to the reader. If anyone has read Jim Starlin’s fantastic Death Of Captain Marvel story you know that his recollection of his death is way different from how it originally played out.

As always Remender does a great job establishing touching moments between character on the team. Whether it’s a quiet moment between Thor and Captain Britain or something more comical between War Machine , Valkyrie and the always sarcastic Beast Remender’s dialogue never disappoints.

SecretAvengers_27_Preview1 — Renato Guedes amazing recreation of the final pages from The Death of Captain Marvel

Another area that never disappoints is Renato Guedes artwork. From the opening pages of art showing Mar-Vell on his deathbed as Thanos smiles. Following those pages Guedes throws countless beautiful pages of art at the reader. I love his attention to facial expressions and character work. With the exception of his design of Beast everything he does is on point from start to finish.

Remender and Guede’s have the rare opportunity to create a tie in story that’s has more impact than A vs. X itself. I have had more fun reading these last two issues of Secret Avengers than i have Avengers Vs X-Men and that’s largely due to Remender’s love for character development and his ability to take an older character and make him feel fresh and relevant again. Remender continues to demonstrate why hes one of the most talented writers working today and Id gladly take another team book from him to read in between the wait for Secret Avengers and Uncanny X Force. I can’t wait for the next issue.

Review Score: 8/10

Mike DeVivo

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Review: Amazing Spider-Man #686 – Something You Expected, and Something You Didn’t

Roger Riddell

May 23, 2012

Amazing Spider-Man #686
Writer: Dan Slott
Art: Stefano Caselli, Frank Martin Jr. [Color Art]

[SIMPERIN’ SPOILER ALERT: Reading this rollicking review might spoil certain exciting elements of this book’s pulse-pounding plot for you, oh consummate Comic Vault reader! You’ve been warned!]

An entire hemisphere of Earth, including Silver Sable’s native Symkaria, has been destroyed at the hands of Doctor Octopus!

Or has it?

Given the ending to Amazing Spider-Man #685, one might think that Spider-Man, Silver Sable, and the Black Widow had failed in their bid to prevent Octavius from destroying the world once and for all in his final dastardly deed before death. However, one might think wrong–especially given that two of the other members of the Sinister Six still remaining at that point were well-versed in illusion. Longtime Spidey fans could probably see where this was going, but it would be a crime not to use such a scenario with Mysterio and Chameleon both on the same team.

That said, as Spidey and Co. continue to disrupt Otto’s dying wish, both sides begin finding that they are victims of wavering allegiances.

Again, Dan Slott provides an issue that stands up not just to the rest of the arc, but to the classics, as well. While one of the big allegiance shifts here was a no-brainer following the orbital octobot crisis from Amazing Spider-Man #680-681 (plus the cover to #687), the other was a total surprise.

It’s also been nice to see Spider-Man written in a team role as a leader as opposed to comic relief, and the way Pete asserts himself in this arc has been phenomenal. That’s not to say the old Peter Parker neuroses aren’t there, though. It will be interesting to see the aftermath of Spider-Man having realized that Doc Ock’s tech has been supplemented by technology he developed as Peter Parker for Horizon Labs–especially if that connection is made by Horizon, as well.

The rotating art on this story has also surprisingly not been as jarring as one would expect. Stefano Caselli returns for the last two issues of the arc after getting a two-issue break from Humberto Ramos, but the switch barely registered to me either time. Sure, Caselli’s art veers more toward the realistic than Ramos’ more animated style, but both artists have grown on me to the point that I’m glad to see either on a story.

If you’re a spider-fan and you haven’t been keeping up, you’re missing out.

RATING: EXCELSIOR!

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Night of 1,000 Wolves #1 – Review

Matthew Sardo

May 23, 2012

Issue: Night of 1,000 Wolves #1
Writer: Bobby Curnow
Artist: Dave Wachter
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Release Date: May 2012
Price: $3.99

“In the Dark Ages, the tranquil life of Harrick Benjyon and his family is shattered by unthinkable tragedy. Before they can react, the family find themselves under seige by hordes of wolves with one aim. Death. A race for survival becomes all the more impossible by the arrival of the supernatural… and the dark secrets that lie at the heart of the Benjyon family. Another classic horror tale from the company that brought you 30 Days of Night and Locke & Key!”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
I’ll make this review simple… BUY THIS BOOK! Night of 1,000 Wolves sprints right out of the gate and never slows down. The artwork by Wachter is so consistent on the characters, which leads to some gnarly looking wolves to the drop dead GORE-Geous monster wolf (still not sure if it is a werewolf yet) at the end. He nailed this book. Matter of fact I want a large poster of that final page, it was just so damn awesome. Like I mentioned, the story crafted by Curnow never skips a beat. His pacing is perfect for a first issue. He grabs you by the throat at the start, loosens up a little in the middle just to tease you, and then finishes you off at the end. The dialogue is perfect and the mystery is just beginning to unravel. From the start this is one horrific tale that you will grab you and not let go. I was not expecting this, but I am damn sure glad I got it. Can I have issue #2 now?

Artwork: 5.0 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Night of 1,000 Wolves you can find it at http://www.idwpublishing.com

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Deadworld: War of the Dead #1 (of 5) – Advance Review

Matthew Sardo

May 23, 2012

Issue: Deadworld: War of the Dead #1
Writer: Gary Reed
Artist: Sami Makkonen
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Release Date: August 2012
Price: $3.99

“The zombies have over run the Earth! A small outpost, remnants of a twisted scientists’ scheme to defeat the plague holds out against the army of King Zombie. Their secret weapon are the Lepers-victims of a bizarre experiment that left them with dead flesh in breathing husks with skin that even zombies won’t touch. This new series of Deadworld is perfect for new readers to join in the frenzy of what has been called the “grand-daddy” of all zombie comics.”

*Note: This series will be weekly throughout the month of August.

Dying Breath: 5.0 out of 5
Welcome back my old friend. It is about damn time that we meet again. The last time we saw this cast of characters in Deadworld, was with the highly praised Slaughterhouse OGN. The events that will unfold in this series are picking up around one year after that. Award winning artist Sami Makkonen (Sarjis Awards), is back to bring Deadworld into the realm of color. I have to admit at first I was skeptical when hearing this, but these pages are GORE-Geous! Sami’s style has a rugged beauty to it, that I think is only enhanced by the addition of color. The gritty look of his panels add to setting up the perfect look for this undead universe. I have to quickly throw mention to his interpretation of King Zombie, it is jaw dropping. I know what you are asking yourself now, “Dan, if the art is that good can the story be on the same level?” Hell yes it can reader, HELL YES. With there being a gap between issues and OGN’s, Gary Reed has to make sure that people recall what came before, as well as make it open to new readers. He nails this on the head and then drives it home with the opening of this arc. While not all previous characters are covered here, the ones that are shine brightly. No one really pulls in the spotlight on them, which shows how well Reed was able to juggle setting things up. The BIG highlight to the story was the breakdown of how the community is protecting itself from larger groups of the undead. It was just the amount of detail that went into that scene that proved why I place Gary on such a high pedestal when it comes to writers. This issue had more than I could have ever wanted from a new Deadworld series. The artwork and story are done at such a high level, that you had better get a ladder ready for when this book is in your hands. Hands down a MUST BUY!

Artwork: 5.0 out of 5 • Story: 5.0 out of 5

If you would like to know more about Deadworld: War of the Dead #1 please go to http://www.idwpublishing.com/or http://www.garyreed.net/.

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Frankenstein Alive, Alive! #1 – Review

Matthew Sardo

May 23, 2012

Issue: Frankenstein Alive, Alive! #1
Writer: Steve Niles
Artist: Bernie Wrightson
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Release Date: May 2012
Price: $3.99

“Few works by comic-book artists have earned the universal acclaim and reverence that Bernie Wrightson’s illustrated version of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s Frankenstein was met with upon its original release in 1983. Nearly 30 years later, Wrightson returns to his passion project with a comic series that picks up at the end of the classic novel, hailed as one of the greatest horror stories of all time. Frequent Wrightson collaborator Steve Niles provides the script for this epic, decades in the making. While appearing to be in black and white, each page was scanned in color to mimic as closely as possible the experience of viewing the actual original art, showing off the exquisitely detailed brush work of one of the greatest living artists in comics today. Each issue will also include supplemental materials, including interviews, essays and a serialization of the original prose story by Shelley.”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
Please hold, my eyes are still drooling from these GORE-Geous pages. Wrightson just blew my visual system right out of the back of my head in this first issue of Frankenstein Alive, Alive! #1. Every single panel in this book is a masterpiece, in fact, think of this issue as a $4 art gallery that you’re privileged to take come in and enjoy. The black and white is so crisp and clean, and I don’t recall if I said this yet, but it is GORE-Geous! The story by Niles is so poetic that it moved me. Granted I can’t move far unless a strong gush of wind comes my way, but this story really took a look into the soul of the Monster. I will admit, it did take 2 reads for me to fully catch everything, in terms of the order of the events that were happening, but it just meant I got to enjoy the hell out of this twice. The horror elements seem to be more about internal suffering than anything else, and it works. From the artwork to the story, this book is a winner. It will make you want to go get the first round by Wrightson and read it again, and then you will come back and read this again, until it all becomes one vicious cycle that consumes you. Then you will create your own Monster to do your bidding so you can keep enjoying this over and over. A MUST BUY!

Artwork: 5.0 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

If you would like to buy or know more about Frankenstein Alive, Alive! you can find it at http://www.idwpublishing.com/

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Review: Clint 2.1 (8.5/10) Now with even more Mark Millar

Matthew Sardo

May 23, 2012

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Issue: Clint 2.1
Writer: Mark Waid and various others
Pencils: various
Publisher: Millar World
Release Date: May 2012

CLiNT #2.1 highlights include:

Comic Strips:
– Supercrooks Chapter 1 by Mark Millar and Leinil Yu
– The Secret Service Chapter 1 by Mark Millar, Dave Gibbons and Matthew Vaughn
– Death Sentence Chapter 1 by MontyNero and Mike Dowling
– Rex Royd: Invasion Chapter 1 by Frankie Boyle and Mike Dowling

Features:
– Maximum Millarworld movie round-up!
– Frankie Boyle and Mike Dowling introduce Rex Royd!
– 20 years of Lenore! Roman Dirge digs up the little dead girl!
– Who is Clint? An Investigation!
– Vern’s Badass Cinema 101!

Overall magazine rating 8.5 out 10

What worked for this magazine is all the comic strips. Mark Millar works with very talented creators and it shows in this issue. What separates Clint from any other magazine is that reading the issue is like sitting at the pub drinking a pint with Millar and friends. You can tell that they are trying to engage the reader and then encourage them to interact after reading, online with Facebook and Twitter.

What also works is the price of the magazine, it’s cheaper than some Marvel books. Four comics plus commentary for $6.99 is good bargain these days in a comic book shop. Also there are no advertisements in the book, you get pure Mark Millar and company and plenty of it.

What doesn’t work is the format. This could be a U.S. thing but reading comics in magazine form just doesn’t work. Also, what separates comics from magazines is that there is a chance that the book could be worth something in the future. This is happening a lot more, currently with Image books. If Clint was like Dark Horse Presents I think it would sell better and would not seem foreign. Plus, collectors would buy the issue looking for the next great character or story.

Clint #2.1 is a great change of pace read loaded with talent and great artwork!

Clint’s PR rep Ricky Claydon wanted me to add this piece about the book and subscription deal.
Special Offer: Subscribe to CLiNT and Save 20%, plus get a FREE signed Dave Gibbons ‘The Secret Service’ Art Card! Act now, only 200 available! To find out more visit –
http://titanmagazines.com/t/clint/local-subscribe/

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Irredeemable #37 (8.5/10) Waid goes out with a smile

Matthew Sardo

May 23, 2012

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Issue: Irredeemble #37
Writer: Mark Waid
Pencils: Diego Barreto
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Release Date: May 2012

THE FINAL ISSUE OF MARK WAID’S SEMINAL SUPERHERO SERIES! Can the Plutonian, seemingly IRREDEEMABLE, find his salvation? What is the true definition of a hero? And can a world, ravaged by loss and carnage, ever believe in such an idea again? The stunning, breathtaking conclusion to Mark Waid’s Eisner and Harvey Award-nominated superhero saga. DO NOT MISS THIS FINAL ISSUE OF A MASTER WRITER’S TOUR DE FORCE!

Story: 9.5/10 • Artwork: 7.5/10 • Overall 8.5/1o
How does one wrap-up an idea that is as big and bold as Irredeemable in one issue, hero to villain, you don’t try! What Mark Waid does is execute a plan that was in place since 2009. If you read Waid’s introduction from Irredeemable #1 he talks about “Kingdon Come” and “Empire” are just two-parts of a trilogy of superhero philosophy. Irredeemable #37 is about connecting all those ideas and coming full circle.

A finale issue should bring closure to a series and give you hope for the future. In a very obvious way Waid wraps up the book and gives the reader a smile with the last page. The first half of the issue is a very generic superhero story, WE HAVE TO SAVE THE WORLD! The second half is divide into parts, the wrap-up and the look to the future. The wrap-up is organic and not forced. Waid gives the reader a complete story and huge philosophical nut to chew on for the rest of the day.

As an eternal kid at heart that loves super heroes and what they stand for, the last two pages gave me the biggest smile in the world. The Irredeemable storyline is complete and I look forward to Waid’s next philosophical super hero tale.

Diego Barreto’s artwork is solid but nothing ground breaking. The splashed page worked really well to convey emotion and the magnitude of the situation. What didn’t work was the color of the book, it was too bright. If you compare the last issue to the first issue it is extremely bright. A darker tone would have worked better. What would have taking the book over the top is if the book progressively went from dark to light.

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Marvel’s 30-seconds on ABC’s The View = Gay Batman & Robin – Really?!

Matthew Sardo

May 22, 2012

Whoopi Goldberg made the announcement about Norhstar’s proposal to Kyle from Marvel Comics Astonishing X-Men #50 on the View Tuesday morning. Here is the 30-second video and bad Batman and Robin humor by Joy Behar. On one hand Goldberg is defending gay marriage and comic books and then Behar makes a cheap gay Batman & Robin joke. You feel that you’re making ground and then you realize how far you still need to go.

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Dead Reckoning: Contagion issue #2 – Review

Matthew Sardo

May 21, 2012

Issue: Dead Reckoning: Contagion issue #2
Writer: Z.M. Thomas
Pencils: Cliff Richards
Publisher: Trepidation Comics
Release Date: January 2012
Pages: 28
Price: $3.99

“With the resurgence of what is believed an evolved strain of the 1918 Spanish Influenza strikes South Eastern Asia, a Chinese pharmaceutical company along with the Epidemic Intelligence Service and CDC are on a race against time to create a cure and prevent a future global pandemic. But when the new vaccine begins to bring the dead of those infected back to life, the military places the entire city of Minneapolis under quarantine.”

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5.0

WEED WHACKER HO! Contagion is back, under a new name, and it is ready to blast your balls (sorry ladies) to the wall! When the first issue ended, it left me wanting so much more, and issue #2 is here to deliver that. The artwork has been kicked up a notch, but you should be able to tell that from the cover image posted with this review. Not only do the character designs make my jaw drop from panel to panel, but the colors are to DIE for. This is one GORE-Geous book! Richards is great at depicting emotion, but I will gripe that we are not all supermen with out rock hard ab’s. Just saying, all comics do that and it bothers me. Not your fault Cliff, I promise. The story by Thomas is working on two levels. Level #1 is moving the story along. He has a great handle on getting from A to B, while still adding on what has happened and why it might be happening. Level #2 is the intensity level. Being able to move the story along while adding intense and relaxed scenes is not an easy task. Yet Z.M. does it with ease. This book is great, but I have a gripe. I need more of it faster! I think that this one would honestly work best as an OGN, or at least told in large issue chapters. At least then I am not left wanting more and more when I finish a single issue. If you find this book grab it, if you can’t find it go to the damn website because this is how horror comics are done right.

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5.0 • Story: 4.5 out of 5.0

If you would like to buy or know more about Dead Reckoning: Contagion please check out http://www.trepidation-comics.com/

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Bela Lugosi’s Tales from the Grave #2 – Review

Matthew Sardo

May 21, 2012

Issue: Bela Lugosi’s Tales from the Grave #2
Creators: Rick Baker, Kerry Gammill, Mike Hoffman, Sam F. Park, Jack Herman, Mike Dubisch, Joe Freire, Michael Leal, Kamil Kochanski, Neil Vokes, James Groman, Tom Smith, Nik Poliwko, Mark Owen, Linda Miller
Publisher: Monsterverse Entertainment
Release Date: May 2012
Price: $4.99

“A strange, pop-eyed sailor is released from a sunken ship after over 70 years; all who look into the eye have their souls sucked out! A masked Mexican wrestler battles a chupacabra to rescue a lady in distress. Film experts discover the horrible secret of a lost werewolf film. Dr. Vornoff builds a mechanical man to help him conquer the world. And a busboy learns of bizarre tastes working in a obscure Chinese restaurant serving dishes that are out of this world.“

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
Anthologies, the life blood of the horror comics industry. The foundation to which the genre was built off of, still has such a solid base when you know that Bela Lugosi’s Tales from the Grave is part of that great tradition. I can’t lie to you review reader, it is very difficult to review anthologies, when you figure that you are getting 3+ stories that all have a different story telling and artistic style. So not everything will appeal to everyone. Issue #2 of BLTFTG has to have been written just for me, because I enjoyed every second of every single story. The artwork in this issue starts off at such a high level thanks to the cover by Academy Award winner Rick Baker, but each story and pin-up does nothing to lower the bar. I thought that “Strange to the Finish”, “Lugosi’s Legends & Lore” and “Order In/Take Out Chaos” were the best of the bunch. Onto the stories, of those horror stories that just blew the doors off of one another. Hell I even liked the one about wrestlers! This is a great mix of monsters, that all complement one another. Personally I have to tip my head to “Order In/Take Out Chaos” and ” Claws of the Werewolf”. Everything about this issue screams old school horror meets new school approach. With the inclusion of an interview and the pin-ups this is a steal for only 5. I am beyond ecstatic that this issue is in my collection and I can not wait for more. There is a reason that Monsterverse Entertainment won a Ghastly Award and had so many nominees, they do horror right!

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5

Please note MV books are available in the UK via Hemlock Books. http://www.hemlockbooks.co.uk/

Comics from the MONSTERVERSE are NOW AVAILABLE at finer comic shops in the US and Canada and on Amazon.com! http://www.amazon.com/shops/monsterverse

MV books are also available in the US on Facebook via our Monsterverse Store at SHOP NOW. https://www.facebook.com/Monsterverse/app_135607783795

You can also download our books at iVerse, Amusedom and GRAPHICLY. Monsterverse on GRAPHICLY presents the best in modern horror stories told in the classic horror comics tradition. Publications include BELA LUGOSI’S TALES FROM THE GRAVE and the graphic novel series THE BLACK FOREST and THE FACELESS. Download now on your computer or mobile apps. http://graphicly.com/monsterverse

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