Review: Iron Man: Noir #4

Review: Iron Man: Noir #3

Review: Avengers Prime #1

The best thing about The Siege is that it ended what was for me a very frustrating era.  The Avengers have long been my favorite Marvel franchise.  And after years of languishing, the Avengers were finally in the forefront of the Marvel Universe.  Unfortunately, most of the stories that put them there just didn’t appeal to me very much.

Who is Hawkeye?

I’m getting excited about the up-coming Avengers movie.  First, Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy the Friggin’ Vampire Slayer) signed on to direct.  Then we got some pretty exciting leaks of concept art for Cap and Thor.  Now, Entertainment weekly is reporting that “The Hurt Locker”‘s Jeremy Renner is close to signing on to play Hawkeye.

How’s that for casting?  Perfect, says I!  Renner has the intensity to play Hawkeye.  But he also has the charisma to make the sometimes unsympathetic character likable.

Review: Iron Man: Noir #2

New Comics 05/19/2010

I’ve let this slip the last few weeks.  From Mother’s Day through birthday parties with various soccer games, dance recitals and gymnastics classes in between (for my daughter, not myself) I’ve been even more behind than usual in comic reading this month. 

As a result, I’m going to shake things up just a little.  Pi has started doing a similar weekly feature over at his excellent “whatever” blog.  He’s improved on my original formula, so I’m going to take inspiration back from him and concentrate more on the books I’m actually going to read (or avoid) rather than attempt to comment on everything knowing I’ll only ever get to a few of the books on the list.

In other words, expect a lot of DC and not a lot of Marvel books.  But if you want similar material for Marvel, give Pi’s list a look.  He’s like my Marvel doppleganger.

Spoiler Review: Siege #4

Not to step on dclebeau’s toe’s, but I had already planned to review the trilogy of Bendis books that came out last Wednesday.

Review: Free Comic Book Day 2010

Well, I could pretty much copy my intro from last year’s FCBD coverage. I did pretty much the same thing. I didn’t go to the comic book store, instead spending my time with boxing, beer, and babes. I got my free comics early, so I can still review these things.

Review: Iron Man: Noir #1

Top 5 Best Comics of August 2009!

And the Summer’s over! Really? That…went fast. I had fun, though. Hope you all did, too. Back to school, kiddies! I read 20 comics in August, and these were the best.

 

5. Invincible Iron Man #16

Matt Fraction’s writing is absolutely top-notch. Yes, this story will read better as a whole, but our connection to Tony, Pepper, and Maria is so strong, it hardly matters. The only thing that brings this issue, and the entire series, down, is Salvador Larroca’s Greg Land-esque art.

My Review

4. Ultimate Comics: Avengers #1

Speaking of Summer, you like those blockbusters that accompany the season, right? Well then, this is the comic for you! Just some awesome-kickass, supercool fun! Mark Millar gives it to ya, and Carlos Pacheco makes it look pretty. This opening salvo features a bombastic helicopter fight and a terrifying new villain.

My Review

 

3. Secret Six #12

Like my previous selection, this too is filled with action and good times, only with more twisted villainy. But this comic also has character and soul, and that counts for a lot. This is Jeannette’s issue to shine, and I think she blinded me. Carlos Pacheco’s beautiful interiors certainly contribute to UCA’s placement, but you know what? I’d put Nicola Scott up against Carlos Pacheco any day. Yeah, you read that right.

DC Lebeau’s Review

 

2. Batman and Robin #3

Holy hell, Batman! This series just gets better and better! The first and second issue topped my list in their respective months, and it’s only by some Marvel miracle that this one didn’t. Since I don’t have a proper review of this issue, I want to go over a few things:

Professor Pyg’s “sexy disco hot.” Who else had this song in their head?

Any guesses on who was watching Alfred? Could it be the same person who spied on Bruce & Jezebel all those issues ago?

Awhile ago, DC said, “Scarlet isn’t who you think she is.” That was a damn lie, and I’m pretty sure Red Hood is who you think he is too.

Seventh Soldier’s Review

 

1. Daredevil #500

A phenomenal conclusion to what turned out to be a great run. Brubaker did DD proud, and definitely cast away Bendis’ shadow. On top of that, you get a great short story and a reprint of possibly the best Daredevil comic ever! Yeah, I’m pretty sure that this isn’t just the best comic in August, it’s the best Marvel comic of the year.

My Review

For more comic goodness, go here.

Review: Invincible Iron Man #16

 

Writing: “World’s Most Wanted” Part 9. This issue is all about that Tony/Pepper/Whitney confrontation that started last issue. The Black Widow and Maria Hill get a bit of screen-time too, with Maria dealing with the trauma inflicted in an earlier issue and Natasha trying to figure out what’s going on. Now, since this is Part 9, you may get the feeling that this story is dragging on. I can assure you, it’s not. What Fraction has done with this arc, and it’ll be more apparent in its conclusion, is present three completely defined characters. We’re deeply invested in the future of Tony, Maria, and Pepper. Because of that, this issue has quite an emotional punch.

Art: Salvador Larroca is a lot like Greg Land, isn’t he? They both have a cold, computerized look. They both have a few celebrity faces in their character-designs. And they both render some stiff-but-pretty images. At least Larroca’s figures tend to be more anatomically correct. So, if you’re a fan of Greg Land, you’ll love Salvador Larroca. If you’re not, I don’t think Larroca’s art will ruin the book for you.

Final Word: I was amazed at how emotionally attached I was to this issue. There’s humor here, and quite a bit of tragedy. Fraction also managed to showcase another one of Iron Man’s classic villains. We might be a bit too deep in the story now, but you should definitely check out “World’s Most Wanted” in trade. It’s a story worth reading.

Grade: B+

For more comic goodness, go here.

Review: Invincible Iron Man #15

Writing: This is part 8 of “World’s Most Wanted,” and it continues to chug along nicely. Though that “part 8″ can be daunting to new readers, this comic is still completely accessible. If you don’t know, Norman Osborn desires the juicy contents of Tony’s brain. No, he’s not Hannibal Lecter; it’s just that Tony’s brain holds sensitive information that could lead to the destruction of all his superhero pals. Tony’s solution? He’s slowly deleting his brain. Since we’re past the halfway mark, Tony is really struggling now, tugging at the heartstrings of everyone, including the fan that chanted for Iron Man’s death during Marvel’s Civil War.

Art: Larroca’s strongsuit is drawing all of the machinery that one usually sees in an Iron Man comic, but this issue doesn’t really have a single bit of that. Fraction continues to focus on the characters, and on this “Flowers for Algernon” reminiscent tearjerker, that means plenty of tender moments, that, frankly, Larroca just can’t handle. However, to my surprise, Larroca’s art didn’t bother me that much here. A backhanded compliment, for sure, but my point is, I hope Larroca can keep up the good work.

Final Word: Fraction continues to highlight the women of Iron Man’s life, while poor Tony is portrayed sympathetically. Could someone like Maria Hill or Pepper Potts ever take the place of Tony Stark? I don’t think Marvel or the fans would allow it, but Fraction is proving that both women are strong, heroic characters, worthy of putting on the suit. Fraction is telling a fantastic story here that’s completely accessible to fans, old and new.

Grade: B

For more comic goodness, go here.

Review: Invincible Iron Man #14

And we’re past the “World’s Most Wanted” halfway mark. That’s right. This arc is going to be twelve issues long. I can still remember it all, though, and that’s always a good thing. Fraction’s opening issues were used to tell a self-contained jumping-on point for new readers, riding high from the movie’s fumes. Since then, Fraction’s Iron Man has been knee-deep in Dark Reign, with a few continuity references as well. Thankfully, thanks to the talent of Matt Fraction, I don’t think new readers will be lost, and it’s one of the few Dark Reign tie-ins that is above-average.

In this arc alone, Fraction has turned Invincible Iron Man into an ensemble book, taking Maria Hill and Pepper Potts along for the ride. I’ve never really cared too much about those women before, but you can bet I do now. Pepper has become a superhero, and a true one at that, since the only thing she does is help people. Her armor doesn’t even have weapons. And Maria is practically a female James Bond.

So, each issue, we see the slow progression of the three characters’ journeys. Tony meets up with an old Russian pal, Maria finds one of the few friends she has left, and Pepper? Well, Pepper always does the right thing, even if it is a bit naive. The pacing runs along nicely, and we never feel too overcome with exposition. As for Larroca’s art, I’ve complained about it enough. I will say, though, that the one part of this book’s look that bothered me had nothing to do with Larroca. The lettering in this issue is bad. All of the captions, for all three characters, are too uniformed, and when you throw in a narrator as well? It’s just a complete mess.

Thanks to three main characters, we’re chugging along a bit slowly, but almost every issue features new players, laughs, and plenty of fun. This issue is no different. The last page is a nice cliffhanger, even though it does feel a bit forced.

Grade: B

For more comic goodness, go here.

Review: Invincible Iron Man #13

(***1/2)

I love Matt Fraction’s writing. I don’t love Salvador Larroca’s art. I just don’t like his style. Don’t get me wrong, he renders machines wonderfully. If this series was about the suits, Larroca would be fine, but Fraction is writing about the characters. This story is about Tony, Pepper, and Maria. Each of those characters has their own distinct voice, and it’s a lot of fun to read about their adventures. But just to be clear, no matter how good Fraction’s writing is, Larroca’s art hinders this book.

On the bright side, I still love this arc. We’re only about halfway through, which makes this one of the longest Iron Man stories, but it will probably be one of the best. Besides handling the characters brilliantly, Fraction’s also throwing every villain he can at poor Tony. No matter how great or obscure, just about everyone who’s tackled the “Golden Avenger” is making an appearance. Some of the more obscure villains are getting modern updates, like the Controller. It’s always nice to see lame villains cause fear.

Invincible Iron Man is one of the few books right now that’s using the new “Dark Reign” status quo effectively. The fact that Fraction is able to pull off a great Iron Man story while servicing Marvel’s current event is impressive. Don’t let the Larroca art repel you, stay for the great characters.

For more comic goodness, go here.

Review: Invincible Iron Man #10

(****1/2)

Invincible Iron Man is Fraction’s answer to Brubaker’s Captain America. I finally realized that while gleefully turning the pages of this comic. Both writers reinvigorated old characters. Captain America’s personality hasn’t changed much in sixty years and was deemed boring by some. Iron Man was actually called a villain by more than a few fans after Civil War. But now, both titular characters have gained some respect.

What’s refreshing is that these issues are so great without the need for gimmicks or other flashy crap of that sort. Sure, some people disliked Steve’s demise, but at least it was done right. The new Cap was established well and is even more interesting than Rogers to some. Just like with Invincible Iron Man, this series has been hijacked by Dark Reign, but the story seems like a natural fit for the series. Every month I expect great quality from both books, I am rarely disappointed.

Top Ten Movies of 2008

“But it isn’t related to comics?” I know that. It does have two comic book movies on it though, does that count? I love comics, but I also love movies. I saw quite a few of them this year and to be honest, it’s fun to voice my top ten on here. It doesn’t fit well on this site, but we do have a movie review section and a top ten fill in the blank section. So without further blabbing, I give you my top ten!

10. Iron Man

Finally, we get a superhero movie where the action and special effects are one of the worst things about it. In fact, that last action scene was one of Iron Man’s biggest flaws. Jon Favreau is not an action director. However, the big fight was better than most in the superhero genre because we were actually invested in these characters. Terrific acting, witty, and thoroughly entertaining, Iron Man is the perfect comic book flick. Oh, and Robert Downey Jr. is the man.

9. Milk

Sean Penn as Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected public office in California. That sounds like the typical “socially aware” Hollywood film, right? But this is a great movie. Yes, Penn is magnificent as always. He creates a full portrait of Milk, flaws and all. It’s to be expected that Harvey is portrayed as a trailblazing hero, but we also get lines like “I have had four relationships in my life. And three of them tried to commit suicide, and it’s my fault…” Strong support from Josh Brolin, James Franco, Emile Hersh and Gus Van Sant’s direction help make this an excellent film. And yes, this movie is powerful and important. Same-sex marriage is legal in only two states. That’s ridiculous, but this movie doesn’t try to convert you. It only tries to make you aware.

8. Doubt

“Sure the acting is great, but it’s not a good story.” That’s the usual complaint I hear about this movie. It’s hard to put this film’s “story” into words. As Father Flynn’s opening sermon informs us, it’s about doubt. When we view sessions of conversation, we don’t believe we’ve actually seen a story, but we have. Doubt is based on a play and perhaps it should’ve stayed on Broadway, but how else could we have seen the talent of Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Viola Davis? There’s a reason every single one of them (Including Davis who only had a fifteen-minute scene at most) has been nominated for an Academy Award. What’s most important is that in every single scene, this movie gets us thinking. That is a rare thing.

7. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

It’s too bad this movie isn’t on many top ten lists, but I understand it. Putting this above films like Milk and Doubt seems weird, but it is appropriate. This is the funniest movie of the year. There’s not much more to be said about it. Comedy is the hardest thing to explain because it’s all about personal taste. All I can say is that this movie makes me really happy. Mila Kunis is adorable. Russell Brand is hilarious. Oh and who doesn’t love a Dracula musical with puppets?

6. In Bruges

A lot of people missed In Bruges because it was released around January. Nothing good ever comes out in January. This however, was awesome! Who knew Colin Farrell could act and be funny?! Ralph Fiennes is fantastic as always and an old favorite character actor of mine, Brendan Gleeson, proves to everyone else how great he is. In Bruges is the best hit man buddy picture since Pulp Fiction. It’s funny and it also features a borderline racist midget in a school uniform. This is a great flick!

5. Revolutionary Road

This is the horribly sad conclusion to Jack and Rose’s story. The traditional romantic couple trapped in a suburban nightmare. Revolutionary Road is a more modern take on the “Born in the wrong time” tragedy. Frank and April are caged within their 50′s Pleasantville surroundings aching to be free of each other. The white male is king and women are bound to the kitchen. Revolutionary Road captures these elements in painfully tragic detail. Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio have grown so much since Titanic and it’s perfect that this was the next project they did together. Sam Mendes has crafted a brilliant movie that is hard to watch, but is also important and unforgettable.

4. Wall-E

Honestly, there are times when I think this is the best film of 2008. Wall-E is the best sci-fi movie in years. It may also be the best romantic film in years. Did I mention these are robots in love? Did I mention that this is a kid’s movie with very little dialogue within the first thirty minutes? This film tries to make us aware of our increasingly corporate, corpulent, sedentary, and wasteful society. Wall-E even makes me love an old throwaway musical like Hello Dolly. How the heck did this movie achieve all of this? Because Wall-E is endearing, it’s one of the riskiest and most lovable films of the decade. Wall-E is very special.

3. The Dark Knight

You’ve heard and know everything that’s positive about this film. There is no reason for me to repeat it. I will however, mention the fundamental flaw in Nolan’s Batman. Batman is the least interesting character in the movie! There’s a reason why Bale never gets any attention for this role. Oh sure, we know he’s there, but that’s all he is, there. It’s tragic because Bale is one of the hardest working actors today. He puts everything into a role. If Bale comes back, I hope whoever’s behind the camera uses his full potential. As for Heath, I really will miss that man.

2. Frost/Nixon

Maybe it’s my love of politics, but I found this to be an incredibly gripping film. This isn’t a biopic. It’s not some sappy nonsense about Nixon’s presidency. It’s about two men involved in a verbal duel. What I said about Christian Bale goes double for Michael Sheen. Sheen was actually given a great role and he absolutely nailed it and still, he was denied recognition, shadowed by his counterpart much like Frost himself was. But Langella was as good as you’ve heard. Howard’s best captures an important historical moment that will leave your mind buzzing. Frost/Nixon deserves the little bald guy this year because sadly, my number one, much like the character it’s about, is left outside the spotlight.

1. The Wrestler

I could go on and on, but I’ll try to keep it short. This is the best performance of Rourke’s life and the year. It’s partly personal for him, which adds to the wonder. This movie isn’t depressing.  It’s about performers in their winter years. It’s about mistakes and how it’s never too late to make things better. It’s about pursuing your calling at the expense of your health and loved ones. It glorifies wrestling in its realism. Sure it’s fixed, but that fall wasn’t. It’s about Randy “The Ram”. No, he doesn’t go the distance crying “Adrian!” But we do love “The Ram” through all his mistakes and flaws. And whether Rourke wins the Oscar or not, I’ll be cheering for him.

So there it is. Agree? Disagree? Please let me know. I’m not sure if I can say whether 2008 was a great year for movies or not. I do know that I liked most of the ones I saw. I hope that can continue in 2009. Anyway, thanks for reading even though it wasn’t about comics. Who knows, I may have a top ten comics list in me somewhere.

-Bruce Castle

Review: Invincible Iron Man #9

(****)

Fraction continues to write the hell out of this book. It’s freaking fantastic! He’s bringing the Golden Avenger back in a big way. If you liked the movie, if you thought he was a dick during Civil War, or even if you love good comics, you should read this book. But I think you already knew all that. I want to talk about what you might not know in this issue.

Like all Dark Reign books, Norman Osborn, the new Skrull (In the sense that I will have to type his name an annoyingly large amount of times in the coming months), is the villain here. What’s funny is that this issue makes Dark Reign look far more interesting than Bendis’ comics have. Osborn is so terrifying. We are left chilled to the bone because someone that insane has so much power. Fraction achieves this in one damn page. Part of that credit goes to Larroca, but I’ll talk about him later.

This comic is special. I love the fact that the H.A.M.M.E.R. uniforms are green and purple. I love how Tony tricks Maria. I love the way Norman fights Tony. I love that the only combat we get in an Iron Man book is from Maria Hill. I love that for some reason we get a free five-page preview of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (It has beautiful Skottie Young art). I love this series.

Ok, about Larroca’s art. I’ve consistently complained about his work in this book. However, I’ve finally warmed up to him. I recently read an interview from Matt Fraction about what he thought of the photo-reference technique. He doesn’t like it any more than I do. It’s refreshing to hear a writer actually criticize his artist, right? Anyway, I always knew that I dug Larroca’s sci-fi look. His futuristic buildings, his armors and his gadgets all look fantastic. But Fraction demands more in his Iron Man. I still don’t like Larroca’s faces, but just about everything else he does is fine. I finally realized that this issue. He makes Tony’s whacky brain gizmo look cool. His fight scene was dynamic and engaging. So Mr. Larroca, I’m cool with you now. Although, did you make a continuity error in this issue? Maria clearly does not have handcuffs on the bottom-right panel of page 15. However, she does have them on page 21. What’s up?

Fraction handles these characters perfectly. He provides a selfless and heroic, albeit flawed, Tony Stark. Fraction has proved he is a master of mainstream comics with little action. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Bruce Castle Presents: Matt Fraction Books Unite!

Uncanny X-Men #505 (***)

Do we really want this man writing the X-Men?

I think it’s official, Brubaker has left the building. Did Fracker break up? I don’t know, but that picture is awesome. And Tony was right. Anyway, I feel sorry for this book. It’s become Marvel’s answer to JLA. One of the terrible things about the current JLA is that the book has to keep servicing other books. It spends too much time talking about events that it can’t tell its own stories. That’s exactly what Uncanny X-Men is. This issue spends so much time talking about X-Force, and M-Day, and Astonishing X-Men and now Dark Reign. Fraction only gets a few pages to tell the stories he wants to tell, but it has little impact. It barely makes sense! The Dodson’s continue to impress and the fact that this book isn’t terrible demonstrates Fraction’s ability as a writer. Please Marvel, give the man some freedom!

Invincible Iron Man #8 (****1/2)

Everything about this book is perfect. Except the art of course, Larroca can’t draw people. I know I know it’s Iron Man, but this book is about the characters. It’s not about the iron. Although the few panels involving technology do look sweet. It’s still amazing how Fraction manages to write this cast so well. Tony, Maria and Pepper are so lovable even though they’re definitely human and flawed. You know what else is in this issue? Comedy! I’ve said a thousand times but I’ll say it again, if you liked the movie you’ll enjoy this. Last thing, Osborn is the new Skrull. It’s only been two weeks and already I realize how much I’ll type the name Osborn in the coming months.

Thor: God-Sized #1 (****)

The writing is great. The art is great. There are four art teams working on this thing and yet they’re all pretty cool. I enjoyed the part three artist the most. It was very old-school, cartoony, and fun. So this is a quality issue, but I’m sure a lot of you will ask, “What’s the point?” It’s a tribute. Along with the 38 new pages, you’ll also receive a reprint of the classic Thor #362. Walt Simonson had one of the best runs on Thor ever. It easily rivals the Lee/Kirby era. But you know what? You can’t even get a trade that contains Thor #362. They were reprinted in trades but they’re sold out now. That’s why this issue is important. If you haven’t read Walt’s run, it’ll let you know what you’re missing. If you have read his run, you’ll quickly be reminded how great it was. The reason why I loved part three so much was because you got to see all the classic Simonson costumes, Balder in his armor, Thor with his beard, and so on. Of course this issue isn’t all about Simonson, it’s also about Skurge. He was a tragic and important part of the Thor mythos. I highly recommend this issue.

Review/Rant: Secret Invasion 8 (*Spoilers*)

A few disclaimers first.  One, I’m an unabashed DC fanboy.  I read the Marvel titles that interest me, but that doesn’t amount to much these days.  Two, I hate the skrulls.  I always have.  They bore the living crap out of me.  So, I approached Secret Invasion with trepidation from the start.  Three, I was at best a casual reader of Secret Invasion.  I read the main series and that was it (although I accidentally read a couple of tie-ins that I didn’t realize were tie-ins until after I bought them).

I wanted to get that out of the way because my perspective on Secret Invasion 8 is probably very different from the majority of comic book readers who followed at least a few of the many, many tie-ins.  Aside from a couple of issues of Deadpool, I am reacting solely to the contents of the main series.  Did it hold up on its own merit?

My answer is “no”.  Naturally, I’ll explain my reasoning.  But I figured I’d give you the verdict up front.  No reason to try to create a false sense of suspense…  (We’ve been subjected to enough of that in Secret Invasion and its many, many, many tie-ins.

Before I start detailing why Secret Invasion failed for me, let me talk about the ways in which it was a success.  First and foremost, Leinil Yu’s artwork was consistently amazing.  The series was worth reading just for the art.  The story, was an utter disappointment.  But the art was top notch from start to finish.

The one thing I will grant Bendis in terms of the story was that it was relatively accessible to a casual Marvel reader like myself.  That’s a pretty amazing accomplishment considering that the story was intended to tie up years of dangling plot threads and conspiracy theories.  For the most part, all of those issues were dealt with outside of the main series.

There’s a downside to this approach.  Frankly, there wasn’t much left to deal with in the main series.  Eight issues have come and gone and I’d be hard pressed to come up with more than three sentences to summarize what happened.  The Skrulls showed up.  They fought with the heroes and villains of earth.  They got their asses handed to them. 

It’s the same Skrull Invasion story we’ve all read 1,000 times before.  But for the one-thousand-and-first telling, Bendis has dragged it out for the better part of a year.  And this is after years and years of build-up.  And more tie-ins than I can count.  Folks, there were a lot of tie-ins.

I know I’m not being 100% fair to Secret Invasion here.  But seriously, without referencing a tie-in, can anyone explain any way in which this story was any different from the generic alien-invasion story that’s been done to death in comics for decades?

Issue 8 in particular is a let-down.  Here’s the thing that really pissed me off.  This is really Dark Reign #1 with a Secret Invasion epilogue at the beginning.  The ending of the years-in-the-making Secret Invasion story arc which has dragged on for hundreds of thousands of issues (I kid!) is wrapped up and shuffled off stage in a few pages.  With that unpleasantness out of the way, we start moving on to the next Big Marvel Event which will no doubt have at least as many tie-in issues as Secret Invasion.

So, let’s make with the spoilers already.  This being a Big Marvel Event, they need to kill of a character who doesn’t really sell comics on their own.  In Civil War, it was Goliath.  For Secret Invasion, we get an upgrade to a third stringer.  Wasp dies.  Did anyone out there really care?  I know, I didn’t.  (Partially because you just know they will bring her back eventually.)

Even though I did not care about Wasp’s demise, the heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe cared a lot.  It’s kind of a major plot point.  Wasp’s death is apparently the inspiration the citizens of earth needed to fight back the alien invasion.

I dunno.  This just came across as really bogus to me.  Apparently, all the Avengers and the Fantastic Four really needed to defeat the Skrulls was the Eye of the Tiger?  It was kind of like Rocky III without the mohawks, gold chains and Thunderlips.

All kidding aside, shouldn’t most of these heroes have been pretty damn motivated to defeat the Skrulls several issues ago?  Reed’s family was kidnapped and he was tortured.  Why does he need Wasp’s death to get him off his elastic rear end? 

By this point in the story, the world has been at war.  And the humans all but lost.  Surely there had been casualties up to this point.  Innocent civilians lost.  For all the heroes knew, dozens of their friends and allies had been killed and replaced by Skrulls already.  (This turned out not to be the case, but the characters in the story didn’t know that at the time.) 

Why would Wasp’s death have been any more of a motivational factor than any of the others that came before?  Were the heroes really expecting to repel an alien invasion without casualties?  And wouldn’t most of the villains present have been at least a little relieved that there was one less Avenger in the world?

So, yeah, the one major plot point of the final battle with the Skrulls rang pretty false to this reader.  (Although everything Thor did was 100% awesome!)  The battle ended swiftly and was followed by a few pages of hurried wrap-up.  You could almost see Joe Q standing off to the side telling them to get off stage to make room for the next Big Marvel Event.

Oh, but there was one final cop-out to be had.  During the clean-up, the heroes open up a Skrull warship to find… all of the missing heroes.  Yep, all the characters you thought were killed and replaced by Skrulls were not dead afterall.  That’s a pretty big reset button!  Status quo for everyone!

The last half of the issue is dedicated to establishing the new status quo.  Pretty much the only thing that changed after years of build up and infinite tie-ins is that Norman Osborne is the new big man on Marvel’s campus.  As someone who came to loathe Tony Stark during Civil War, I have to admit that I enjoyed seeing karma kick his tin-plated ass.  But couldn’t they have waited until Secret Invasion was over before they started pimping Dark Reign?

Now, I’ll give them credit for this much… the premise of Dark Reign sounds pretty darn cool.  And the last page reveal of the bad guy equivalent of the Illuminati was pretty darn awesome.  Unlike Secret Invasion, I’m not turned off by the very premise of Dark Reign.  I may even pick up some of the ties-ins.  (I expect there will be a few to choose from.)

But Dark Reign aside, Secret Invasion was a real snooze.  After years of build up, an event of this size deserved a more satisfying and less rushed ending.

Bruce Castle Presents: Marvel’s Multiverse!

Ultimatum #1 (***1/2)

Jeph Loeb’s name is synonymous with good art. David Finch handles the art chores here and it’s nice to see him on interiors again. It’s even sweeter to see Finch return to the Ultimate U. But the art isn’t ever the problem in a Loeb comic is it? Well, maybe in that Liefield one. What? Liefield sucks. Anyway, I actually enjoyed this. It’s the set-up issue and that requires a big bang and it has to leave me wanting more. Ultimatum #1 accomplishes both of those. The characters are handled well, better than you might expect, and there are even a few deaths, maybe? It’s that maybe that bugs me a little. See, when I first read this issue I enjoyed it quite a bit, but after flipping through to write this review I had a few questions. That’s not a bad thing since this is the first issue, but one of these days I want to read a Loeb comic where everything is just spelled out. Oh well, at least this isn’t a murder mystery.

Invincible Iron Man #7 (****1/2)

Ah, the fun before the storm. Matt Fraction mentioned something about the next arc being a “Born Again” story. So naturally, this is the entertaining breather between arcs. But Fraction makes it more than that and proves once again why this book is so awesome. Spidey and Iron Man team up again! But this is a post-Civil War team up, are you interested yet? How about the fact that this issue references an old New Avengers story? With humorous results of course. You might also be pleased because Fraction doesn’t treat Tony like some kind of God like other titles do to their heroes. Iron Man is a flawed character. Anyway, the point is, though this appears to be an overdone concept, this issue is unique. Fraction continues to write the hell out of this book. 

Anita Blake: The Laughing Corpse #2 (****)

It’s a little hard reviewing an adaptation of a book, especially since I haven’t read the book. I can say that if you have ever thought about reading Hamilton’s series, but either you don’t want to deal with all those words or you want to look at pretty pictures, you should give this book a shot. It’s an interesting take on the whole monster world (Vampires, zombies, ghouls, etc.) and it seems to be one of the more “girly” books that I read. Anita Blake is a badass chick that is actually a really interesting character. I’m not a Buffy fan so it’s possible that some of this stuff might feel familiar. On the other hand, if you like Buffy, it’s very possible that you’ll enjoy this. Lastly, I’ve always been a fan of Ron Lim’s art and he provides some fantastic visuals.