A little something different today I was able to pickup and read comics, but for the full reviews, follow this link over to The Daily Blam, where I’ve reviewed last week’s Marvel books!

A day late, but it’s for a good cause, I assure you.  As you all know, every week I go to the comic store to try and let you guys know what comics are good(and bad, for that matter) before you buy.  And as you know, I pick up my comics at Comics and Paperbacks Plus in Palmyra, PA.  You can find them on Facebook here or here, or you can stop in if you find yourself in Central Pennsylvania. You can also follow me on Twitter, just to see what I think of my books as I read them!  Here’s what I got:

Amazing Spider-Man #667
War of the Green Lanterns: Aftermath #2
Spider-Island: Cloak and Dagger #1
The Red Wing #2
Fear Itself #5
B.P.R.D.: Hell On Earth: Monsters #2
Hellboy: The Fury #3
Baltimore: The Curse Bells #1
Red Robin #26

And here’s what I thought:

War of the Green Lanterns: Aftermath #2

DC Comics, $3.99

Tony Bedard, Ransom Getty, Andy Smith, Brian Cunningham

Review by Erik Lewis

The War of the Green Lanterns was pretty interesting, first in that it kind of stepped back towards the Green Lanterns as the important Corps in the DC Universe.  It focused on a select few Green Lanterns, being the earth Lanterns, Ganthet, Mogo, and a few others, and it was important because it served as a stepping stone to get to next month’s Green Lantern #1(featuring Green Lantern Sinestro on the cover), it leaves Hal Jordan in limbo, and it’s shaken things up within the Green Lantern Corps itself.  Aftermath adresses all the problems left by the War, but doesn’t really answer any of the questions raised.  How will John Stewart deal with being the one to pull the trigger on Mogo?  What’s going on with Kyle and Soranik Natu?  What does Atrocitus have planned for Krona’s body?  Can Ganthet(or any other Green Lantern, for that matter) trust the other Guardians?  Will the Blue Lanterns be able to continue without a Guardian to look to as a leader?  And that’s just scratching the surface.  War of the Green Lanterns: Aftermath was a short two issue bridge, just a time-killer, really, but it was and interesting read.  I think it might have worked a little bit better as a double-sized one-shot, but all in all, it wasn’t bad.  I’d even say it’s essential reading if you’re looking to pick up the new Green Lantern #1 next month.  The art is impeccable, with the artist capturing the distinctive look of each of the Green Lanterns very well, and not really any hint of a movie influence, which is good.

Ollie’s Beard 3/5

Fear Itself #5

Marvel Comics, $3.99

Matt Fraction, Stuart Immonen, Wade Von Grawbadger, Laura Martin, Tom Brevoort

Review by Erik Lewis

If I could describe Fear Itself(so far) in one word, it would be “WOW.”  Matt Fraction has taken an opportunity with this year’s event, and with that opportunity he has done things that I didn’t even dream of seeing in a comic.  In just a few short issues, he’s regressed a character, destroyed an icon in Marvel Comics, killed one of the founding members of the Marvel Universe, reintroduced one of the most powerful aspects of the Marvel Universe, and told us that the status quo is largely lies.  I find Fear Itself to be the most engaging Marvel event book since House of M(the first event book that I ever bought when it was released).  Matt Fraction succeeds in splitting our attention among the Big Three, showing Thor fighting Hulk/Nul and The Thing/Angrir, Iron Man having his conversation with Odin, and Captain America facing Sin and The Serpent.  I don’t like how the Iron Man part is something that also happened in his own title, but I can understand that it was inserted in the interest of having a self-contained event book, where people can read more about it if they want, but aren’t missing anything if they don’t.  Aside from that, just about every page has a wow moment, or something that made my eyes go wide, and the best part is Immonen’s art give the whole comic such an epic feel.  I think Fear Itself has edged out any other event comic as my favorite of the year, at least so far, and as much as I was looking forward to this issue, it seems that I’m looking forward to the next two even more.  Don’t miss this!

Odin’s Beard 5/5

The Red Wing #2

Image Comics, $3.50

Jonathan Hickman, Nick Pitarra, Rachelle Rosenberg

Review by Erik Lewis

One thing that I like a lot about Jonathan Hickman is that while the topic of time travel tends to pop up in his works somewhat frequently, each of his stories that uses time travel as a device feels different than the others.  The Red Wing does not feel like Fantastic Four, which in turn doesn’t feel like S.H.I.E.L.D.  I spent most of the last review talking about the art, and the art is still pretty fantastic, but I want to talk here about Hickman’s exceptional use of the comic medium.  In the last issue and this issue, there have been page sequences that have caused me to completely disregard the story and just flip back and forth through the pages.  Now granted, there’s no way of knowing, short of seeing the script, how much was Hickman planned and plotted and how much was Pitarra’s innovation, but with the thought that Hickman planned it and Pitarra carried it out, they did so with a vision.  there’s some who might say that bringing me out of the story like that is counter to the goals of a good writer, but I have to disagree.  Sometimes when I read a comic, I can become so engaged in the story that the art kind of fades into the background and occasionally I’ll have to remind myself that there are pictures to look at.  Panels with little or no dialogue will be skipped, all in favor of progressing the story.  That kind of thing doesn’t happen with The Red Wing.  It’s the kind of book where I can get lost in the story without losing sight of the work as a whole.  It’s not often that I find a book that captivates me like The Red Wing does, to the point where I’m a little sad that it’s halfway over.

Volstagg’s Beard 4/5

Amazing Spider-Man #667

Marvel Comics, $3.99

Dan Slott, Humberto Ramos, Carlos Cuevas, Edgar Delgado, Stephen Wacker

Review by Erik Lewis

I’ve said it before, and I’ll probably say it again.  Since he took over, Dan Slott has taken Spider-Man from a character I felt somewhat forced to like to a character that I can’t wait to read every time his book comes out.  Spider-Island is some of Slott’s best work so far, and that’s saying something.  The basic premise plays with the very nature of Spider-Man and shows us what would happen if someone got all of the power of Spider-Man without the sense of great responsibility he has to use those powers for good.  That’s not to say that that’s the only thing that happens, as supporting cast member and member of the NYPD Carlie Cooper gets powers, and she’s demonstrated in the past that she knows about great responsibility, most notably reporting her own father for criminal activity.  Still, it’s not just the interesting dissection of the Spider-Man character that makes this book(and this storyline) worth the read, it’s also the way the story unfolds.  Specifically how, with all the bad guys dressed up(and powered up) like Spider-Man, how can Peter make his teammates trust that he is who he says he is.  Madame Web adds another level to things, and of course the Jackal and his lackeys of the Six Miles Wide gang and the Tarantula and Spider-King all add up to a lot going down in the book, but that’s ok.  Even the majority of the tie-ins look interesting based on the titles and cover images alone.  I said that Fear Itself was my favorite event of the year, but Spider-Island is a very close second to that.  Sorry DC.

Odin’s Beard 5/5

B.P.R.D.: Hell On Earth: Monsters #2

Dark Horse Comics, $3.50

Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, Tyler Crook, Scott Allie

Review by Erik Lewis

It’s interesting, in a title that’s supposedly about the B.P.R.D., we’re treated to a story that’s mostly about Liz Sherman.  Not that I mind, really.  Liz has been largely missing from the Bureau’s activities for a number of mini-series now, so it’s nice to get a chance to catch up with the character, even if her location has you a little disappointed in her to begin with.  In the first installment of this two part series, it’s revealed that Liz has been living in a trailer park since she disappeared from a Bureau raid and has been trying to forget about that part of her life for some time.  She’s thrust right back into it by a group of frog-worshiping hillbillies, however.  Things don’t go as smoothly as one might expect for Liz, although they could go worse if she wasn’t a government trained operative.  It seems that the Mignolaverse seems to be converging on a point, at least the stories that take place in the present.  Hellboy has fought and beaten the Dragon in The Fury, and here Liz has discovered that the frogs are back, and we’re even given information about the fate of Abe Sapien, although I kind of feel like I’m missing part of that story, if I’m being honest.  Taken as a whole, the Mignolaverse is getting very interesting, and I feel like Mignola is going to have to give us something very big and very soon, even if it means the end of the franchise and the characters that he’s given us.  I hope it doesn’t come to that, but honestly, I don’t see much of an alternative, really.

Ollie’s Beard 3/5

Spider-Island: Cloak and Dagger #1

Marvel Comics, $2.99

Nick Spencer, Emma Rios, Javier Rodriguez, Stephen Wacker

Review by Erik Lewis

Even though it only feels loosely related to the Spider-Island story, this tie-in miniseries has a strong start, with Cloak and Dagger getting evicted from their church base of operations and Cloak setting them up as a sort of non-profit Heroes for Hire organization.  Cloak and Dagger are one of my favorite, yet underrated and underused superhero duos, and I feel almost as if something is missing from this portrayal of them.  Tyrone and Tandy seem to have drifted apart, and it’s almost painful to read.  Although the story of the first issue seems to focus more on Tandy than on Tyrone or the two of them together, I still get this feeling that either something’s not right, or that there’s something missing since the last time we saw these two in their own title(was that during Dark Reign?  I think it might have been…), but I’m sure that Spencer will see fit to fill us in by the end, as well as fulfill his promise to take Mr. Negative out of the equation completely.  I feel like Marvel walks a fine line with their miniseries events, where the tie-ins are either too numerous and connected to the main story(like Shadowland), or too few and loosely connected to the story(Chaos War), and I want to see Spider-Island succeed in bringing out tie-ins that are just connected enough that it doesn’t feel like I’m reading a tie-in that should have taken place in the main book, but not with so many tie-ins that I don’t feel like getting them all.  As far as tie-ins go, though, this one seems to be on the right track, and I don’t think any of you will be disappointed if you pick it up.

Ollie’s Beard 3/5

And that’s it for this week!  Be sure to check back in next week for more reviews, and feel free to join in on the discussion!  Post a comment below, or check in on Twitter, you’re always welcome.

So it’s Thursday afternoon, and that means a new episode of Single Combat!  Every week, I visit the comic store to find the best and worst of the pile, just so I can let you know about them.  This week was a difficult one.  As you know, I pick up my comics at Comics and Paperbacks Plus in Palmyra, PA.  You can find them on Facebook here or here, or you can stop in if you find yourself in Central Pennsylvania. You can also follow me on Twitter, just to see what I think of my books as I read them!  Here’s what I got:

Flashpoint #4
Herc #6
Heroes for Hire #10
Hulk #38
Moon Knight #4
The Punisher #1
Red Skull: Incarnate #2
S.H.I.E.L.D. #2
Thunderbolts #161

And here’s what I thought:

Red Skull: Incarnate #2

Marvel Comics, $2.99

Greg Pak, Mirko Colak, Matthew Wilson, Alejandro Arbona

Review by Erik Lewis

In the back of the first issue, Pak delivers an afterword where he compares Red Skull: Incarnate to Magneto: Testament, which I believe is a fair comparison.  Both stories are of young men growing up at the start of the Nazi’s rise to power in Germany, and both follow them as they discover themselves, in one way or another.  The difference, however, is that even though both have been labeled villains at one time or another in their careers in the Marvel Universe, only the Red Skull is what can be called truly evil.  Pak does an excellent job setting up both characters in their respective books.  He says that when he saw the cover art for this series, he was chilled, and troubled, which if you read the story, is exactly the right emotion for this kind of thing.  While Testament shows the choices that will lead a young boy to fight for the rights of others(with albeit questionable tactics at times), Incarnate instead shows a boy follow an opposite road, one that will lead him to become one of history’s greatest monsters.  Incarnate is a very challenging read, at least for me, in that every page and almost every panel, I want to feel for the boy depicted, and I have to keep reminding myself throughout that he’s not the sort of boy who’s going to leave me with a sympathetic story in the end.  It’s something that Pak has reminded us of very forcefully at the end of each issue so far.  The art for the series, so far, fits the aesthetic that’s put forward by both the tone of the story and by the cover.  This series is one that I read with a sort of grim fascination, but it’s one that I truly do look forward to being released.  I recommend this if you’re looking for something beyond your standard superhero fare.

Odin’s Beard 5/5

Moon Knight #4

Marvel Comics, $3.99

Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev, Matthew Wilson, Tom Brevoort

Review by Erik Lewis

Moon Knight has been a little strange up until this point.  I do like the idea of a few superheroes working in LA rather than sticking them in New York, and I do like the idea that Marc Spector has replaced the voices in his head with the voices of other influential Avengers.  The only narrative misstep, I felt, was in the last issue, where we were suddenly pulled from a two-issue-strong story to read one that took place several months prior, but that’s fixed this time around, and spectacularly.  Moon Knight and Echo meet to discuss what they’ve found themselves in at the famous LA hot dog stand, Pinks, only to be ambushed by the Night Shift.  I like where Bendis’ writing takes the fight, specifically how Marc’s new personalities of Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Captain America help him during the course of a fight(Spider-Man will chime in to tell Marc that his jokes could be better, while Wolverine advises that he go after the guy with the gun, and Cap lets him know that he’s being hypnotized, things like that), and I love the frenetic pace that Maleev’s artwork and panel layout lends to the whole thing.  It all really comes together to make a spectacular action sequence, so good work for that.  Ultimately, though, my favorite thing about the book is the ending that sees Spector and Echo surrounded by police, simply because I find that superheroes get away from the police far too often and far too easily.  I like to see them get caught here because I want to know what happens when they do.  Do they have to account for their actions?  Will the police just let them go?  I hope that last one doesn’t happen, because that would be too easy.  Whatever happens, though, Bendis and Maleev have me on the hook for at least the next issue, so good work!

Volstagg’s Beard 4/5

The Punisher #1

Marvel Comics, $3.99

Greg Rucka, Marco Checchetto, Matt Hollingsworth, Stephen Wacker

Review by Erik Lewis

Were you aware that this is actually Volume 5 of the Punisher?  I didn’t, until I picked up this one.  It seems like every time they do something crazy with the Punisher(Frankencastle), Marvel feels the need to restart the title with Frank back at his roots as a psychopath to show that they actually understand the character’s real motivation.  Now sometimes that works out great.  Welcome Back Frank is one of the best stories, let alone Punisher stories, I’ve read in comics.  It’s so good that I even like the first Punisher movie(Tom Jane, not Dolph Lundgren.  Come on, people.).  But, if you’re expecting Welcome Back Frank quality from this Punisher reboot, you’re going to be disappointed.  For me, the series does an inadequate job setting up any character that isn’t Frank, to the point where I don’t know who he’s killing or really why he’s killing them at the end, and that’s important to the character.  He doesn’t kill unless his target deserves it.  He punishes the wicked, hence his name.  What it feels like, to me, is that Rucka watched Se7en a few hours before his script was due and said “Man, this movie was great, but what if The Punisher was in it?”  Not really for the exact plot, I guess, but definitely for the characters.  There’s an aged detective who could be a Morgan Freeman stand in, and a younger, Brad Pitt looking detective who seems to be working with Frank, although nothing is incredibly clear.  A lot can be done in sequences without dialogue or caption boxes, but it doesn’t really lend itself to this kind of action, where knowing what’s going on is required.

Batroc’s Beard 2/5

Flashpoint #4

DC Comics, $3.99

Geoff Johns, Andy Kubert, Sandra Hope, Kate Stewart, Rex Ogle

Review by Erik Lewis

Flashpoint is a strange series.  I like it, but the mere existence of it and what it represents has pretty much eliminated my need or desire to read any other DC books.  Yet, even so, I find myself liking this book much more than some of the other stuff I picked up this week, or even previous weeks.  I will say that even though I’m thoroughly enjoying it so far, with the events at the end of the last issue and the beginning of this one playing out how they did, it seems to me that Johns is including things that aren’t really relevant to the overall story.  I suppose it’s ok to take a moment to look in on Superman, but if he’s just going to fly away when he can, really, what’s the point?  Anyway, this issue is really where things are starting to come to a head, which is good, seeing as it’s issue 4 of 5.  Batman(Thomas Wayne) has finally agreed to team up with Cyborg’s coalition of other powered individuals, so the Flash and all the rest try to personally put a stop to Wonder Woman and Aquaman’s war against each other.  It’s not a very long fight, in fact, not much at all happens(I suspect you would need to read some tie-ins to understand exactly why what happened happened, too), but what does happen is pretty big, and it finally gets Reverse-Flash to reveal himself.  The next issue is truly going to be the one not to miss, but this one’s pretty good too.  I would say that if you like the Flash, Flashpoint, or are interested in the New 52, this issue is pretty well essential, as are the three before it and the one after it.

Ollie’s Beard 3/5

S.H.I.E.L.D. #2

Marvel Comics, $2.99

Jonathan Hickman, Dustin Weaver, Sonia Oback, Nick Lowe

Review by Erik Lewis

S.H.I.E.L.D. finally feels like it’s going somewhere, in the 8th issue, or the 2nd issue of it’s second volume.  I can see now that the first volume(the first 6 issues) were almost purely setup, to get us ready for this volume, but it still feels unnecessary to call this anything other than issue 8.  What I’d really like from this series is a little resolution, and while we did get a little bit when the divergent plotlines of Michelangelo, Leonid, Newton and Da Vinci, and Stark, Richards, and Tesla all wound up together, it still seems like there’s too much going on here, and almost none of it is as it seems.  Now, I’m all for mystery, but it seems like the mystery here is to add a false veneer of importance to the book.  That it’s mystery for the sake of mystery, mystery intended to confuse the reader, not to intrigue the reader.  There’s no one peeking around the corner, at least no one that I can see.  Maybe that’s my fault.  Maybe I’m reading this book differently than it should be read.  I will say that it’s effective in getting me to want to read more, so that’s a mark in it’s favor at least.  I will also say that imagining a secret history to the Marvel Universe, one that incorporates this number of actual historical figures seamlessly with characters integral in one way or another to the Marvel Universe is also something very ambitious that I salute Hickman for.  However, if we don’t get some sort of resolution soon, I may stop caring about this book and it’s twists and turns altogether.  For now, though, it works.

Ollie’s Beard 3/5

Herc #6

Marvel Comics, $2.99

Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, Neil Edwards, Cory Hamscher, Jesus Aburtov, Mark Paniccia

Review by Erik Lewis

The last couple of issues of Herc have been Fear Itself tie-ins, and for me, it seems like one of the only truly successful Fear Itself tie-ins.  I’m not saying that the others are bad, and I’m not saying  that I didn’t read the others and I wasn’t entertained by them, I’m saying that in taking the tone of an event book and taking it in their own direction, I felt that Pak and Van Lente were the most successful out of anyone writing from the jumping off point of Fear Itself, although there were others who were almost as successful, and indeed, others that I might have enjoyed more if I had enjoyed what came before more(Hulk springs to mind first there, although it has nothing to do with Parker’s take on the character, and rather has everything to do with Loeb’s take on the character instead.)  Since the beginning of this title, Herc has be fighting the Warhawks, trying to stop them from bringing about the conflict of all versus all and resurrecting Ares from the depths of Hades.  In this issue, they come their closest, and fail.  It’s not surprising, but it is a hell of a lot of fun to read, and the threads from the Fear Itself story I would think would need to continue, as Herc still needs to somehow deal with his temporary allies, Basilisk, Man-Bull, and Griffin, though that could be as simply as turning them into the authorities once everything calms down.  The only thing that has me a little down about this book is nothing but a fan’s concern, nothing critically wrong with the story or the art, just the comment that Hecate makes that Herc will never channel godly power again.  I know he doesn’t need it to be awesome, but…I liked the Hercules of old.  Anyway, this is a great book, and a great series.  Miss it at your own risk.

Volstagg’s Beard 4/5

And that’s it for this week.  Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments, or follow us on twitter.  Any way you can get word to us is fine, and be sure to share this with others, too!

So it’s Thursday, and lately that means it’s time for another look at this week’s comics!  Let’s get started, shall we?  As always, I pick up my comics at Comics and Paperbacks Plus in Palmyra, PA.  You can find them on Facebook here or here, or you can stop in if you find yourself in Central Pennsylvania. You can also follow me on Twitter, just to see what I think of my books as I read them!  Here’s what I got:

Amazing Spider-Man #666
Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search for Swamp Thing #2
Captain America and Bucky #620
Fear Itself: The Worthy #1
FF #7
Flashpoint: Hal Jordan #2
Incredible Hulks #633
Joe Hill: The Cape #1
Secret Warriors #28
The Mighty Thor#4

And here’s what I thought:

Joe Hill: The Cape #1

IDW, $3.99

Joe Hill, Jason Ciaramella, Zach Howard, Nelson Daniel, Chris Ryall

Review by Erik Lewis

It started as a short story in the collection “20th Century Ghosts,” by Joe Hill.  It was interesting because it was a story of revenge.  It was the story of a guy who was gifted with the superpower of flight, and what he chose to do with it.  It was brilliant in its brevity, really.  It showed you the first thing he thought to do when he realized what he had, and honestly, I’d be willing to bet it’s not all that different from what some of us would actually do.  Earlier in the year, IDW took the short story and adapted it to the comics medium, and this is the continuation of that.  Like all good serial fans, it’s in my nature to wonder “what happens next,” and I want to thank IDW for giving us the opportunity to find out.  As this issue shows us, Eric has more dirty work to do to cover up his initial act, and Ciaramella doesn’t skimp on the gore, or the ingenuity of the main character, even if some of the things we see here are indicators that Eric has more than just flight now, somehow.  It’s alright, as it furthers the story.  Seeing as this is a miniseries, there are threads that are introduced in this story that are not resolved, as you would imagine, and I think the hurdles that Ciaramella is putting in front of Eric are interesting, yet logical ones to use.  Zach Howard’s art style is well suited to this book, in that it seems a little bit darker than one might expect, yet still very descriptive, and he even adds in distinctively comic book-like flair to the shadows that makes the whole thing just pop.   So between the continuation of an already very interesting story and the art style of Zach Howard, I’d strongly suggest this book.  It’s a fun read, and really, who can’t use that?

Ollie’s Beard 3/5

Captain America and Bucky #620

Marvel Comics, $2.99

Ed Brubaker, Marc Andreyko, Chris Samnee, Bettie Breitweiser, Lauren Sankovitch

Review by Erik Lewis

What Brubaker and Andreyko do here is take a look at Bucky’s life before he was introduced to Captain America, where they point out that the two had very different roads to travel, despite being very similar in age.  After recent events in Marvel, I wasn’t sure we’d get to see another story with Bucky, but while this isn’t really ideal for that(I wanted more Bucky as Captain America, to be honest.) it does tell one of the most compelling stories I’ve read about either the character or the time period.  Elements of Bucky’s home life before putting on his costume are introduced, and while I didn’t know about them before, there is nothing illogical or really out of character to be shown here, and it has me very interested for the next issue.  We’re shown Bucky as a troubled youth, helping to take care of his sister after the passing of their mother, we see Bucky struggle with the anger that he has inside of himself, and he deals with the fact that all of his life, he’s been wearing a mask of some sort or another, something everyone is familiar with in one form or another.  I’m fine with telling origin or near-origin stories, honestly, but I hope this story arc picks up from here.  I would also understand an arc that serves as something of a eulogy, but still, there’s a lot that Brubaker and Andreyko could be doing something with this story than a simple retelling of the life of Bucky Barnes.  As for the art, Chris Samnee’s stuff is always impeccable, and there’s definite growth over time with the guy, but even if there wasn’t, I would still pick up this book for his name alone.  Good stuff!

Ollie’s Beard 3/5

Invincible #81

Image Comics, $2.99

Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, Cliff Rathburn, Sina Grace

Review by Warren Taylor
This issue could serve as a good turning point for Invincible. We’ve seen Mark go up against and defeat some of the baddest bad guys in the universe, but now he’s starting to question his motives. In a show down with Powerplex, he’s starting to realize that it’s not enough to be a reactionary hero anymore. There needs to be something more he can do for the greater good. For Invincible fans, this is symbolizes something very important. First, it mirrors the thoughts of his father, Omni-Man, way back in issue 7 when he tried to take over the world. And secondly, it starts to reconnect Mark with the questionable government operative Cecil Steadman. Invincible has berated Cecil in the past for his methods, but they’re once again starting to share similar motives. It’s events like this that make Invincible such a great comic book. As it is a creator owned series, the characters are actually allowed to grow and develop, instead of staying stagnant. There are numerous points in Invincible continuity that serve as great jumping on places for new readers, and just as many important moments that forever change the character for long time readers. Month to month, this book just continues to impress and as the tag line on the cover reads “The best superhero comic book in the universe!” it’s an absolute wonder why more people aren’t picking up this book. Kirkman’s consistently smart writing, Ottley’s absolutely incredible visuals and some eye-popping colorists, make this one comic book that you should be buying.

Volstagg’s Beard 4/5

Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search For Swamp Thing #2

DC Comics, $2.99

Jonathan Vankin, Renato Arlem, Rex Ogle, Eddie Berganza

Review by Erik Lewis

If you listen to me talk for a solid hour about anything in the comic industry, you’ll probably hear me talk about how much I love the character John Constantine and his title, Hellblazer.  You’ll probably hear me say that I have all but a handful of the issues, going back to #1.  But something I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned is how, as an early Hellblazer reader, I wanted John Constantine to be a part of the regular DC Universe.  I know he’s had romantic entanglements with Zatanna, as they’re both magic users, but the closest he’s come in his own title was his cross over with Sandman, who didn’t really interact with any DC heroes, but Batman and Green Lantern were shown in a panel of the Sandman, so I think it still counts.  Anyway, this title brings me what I want, with John Constantine interacting with both Batman and Superman over the course of two issues(Swamp Thing himself doesn’t count; Constantine was introduced in his book), and personally, I couldn’t find it more satisfying.  The character behaves pretty much like he should, even if it does seem to be a bit of a departure for him.  There are references made to Constantine’s past, even if they are only made in passing, and it would seem that the supers steer clear of him for a reason, namely his reputation.  What I love the most, however, is how Batman steers him towards Superman because he thinks John is too dangerous to be let go, and how Superman sees right through his “save the world” speech, telling John that he knows he only wants to save himself.  Have I lost you yet?  Takeaway here is that if you enjoy Constantine you should be reading this mini.

Ollie’s Beard 3/5

Amazing Spider-Man #666

Marvel Comics, $3.99

Dan Slott, Stefano Caselli, Marte Gracia, Stephen Wacker

Review by Erik Lewis

So finally, Spider Island starts.  It’s been teased in the back of Spider-Man books for a little while now, and for me, the anticipation has definitely been worth the wait.  If you’ve been reading, you know that the Jackal has infected New York City with a species of bed bugs that pass on spider powers when they bite you, and now he’s going around collecting infected people to further his own nefarious purpose, while Spider-Man(sans spider sense still) is being trained by Shang Chi in the art of Kung Fu.  Let me start by saying that I have no love for the Jackal.  I got into comics around the time of the Clone Saga, and I firmly believe that the only good part of that story was the Scarlet Spider.  That said, I love reading about the Jackal and his various Professor Warren clones that he has working for him, and the schemes he’s setting in place for the as-yet-unrevealed shadowy figure behind it all.  Honestly, the only thing I’m not entirely thrilled about with the coming story is the idea of adding about 20 titles to my pull list.  It’s not that I feel I need all of them to complete the story; I’m sure Slott does a fantastic job keeping it all in the main title, but the Avengers, the Spider-Girl and Spider-Woman, the Deadly Foes, Cloak and Dagger, and Heroes for Hire tie-ins all seem interesting to me.  Much like Shadowland was, there are sides to the story that aren’t going to be covered in the main story that I want to know more about.  Back to this issue, though.  I love how Slott balances everything that’s going on, and gives us a wealth of story, with just about every player in Spider-Man’s life being shown somehow in action, from The Future Foundation to Aunt May.  This is definitely my pick for the best book of the week, if not the best book of the year, at least so far.

Odin’s Beard 5/5

Ultimate Fallout: Spider-Man No More #3

Marvel Comics, $3.99

Jonathan Hickman, Nick Spencer, Steve Kurth, Jay Leisten, Eric Nguyen, Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz, Mark Paniccia

Review by Warren Taylor

So here we are halfway through the series and I still find myself asking the question, “So what?” We get to see more reactions from those closest to Peter, but nothing really comes of it. It has the makings of something big, but it doesn’t feel like it. It’s hard to describe, but I’ll do my best. Tony Stark is asked to join an influential group of people capable of changing the world with their money and power instead of superheroics, Kitty has a breakdown and tells Iceman that she can keep him safe if he doesn’t use his powers anymore and we once again see Karen Grant – Jean Grey in disguise – who is now working with Nick Fury. So, we see all these players moving around and changing places like pieces on a chess board. It all looks like it’s going to lead into something game changing, but right now it’s all talk. Maybe it’s because the Ultimate universe has let us down so many times in the past with supposed world changing events that didn’t really have any lasting effects. Remember when New York City was destroyed? Remember when Reed Richards became a bad guy for some reason and was blowing up buildings? It’s further evidence that this entire “Death of Spider-Man” arc is nothing more than a gimmick that promises a change of epic events. No matter what that outcome is going to be, it’s never going to be as important as it could have been if they didn’t tell you on the cover of every single issue that Spider-Man was going to die. It really took the sting out of his eventual death. And even when he was facing down his worst villains and literally collapsed in the street in front of everyone, I found myself asking the question, “So what?”

Batroc’s Beard 2/5

And that will do it for this week!  Do you feel we missed something?  Do you want to recommend something for next week?  Do you just think we got something wrong?  Stop by the comments section and let us know, or tell us on Twitter!  We’re always willing to talk.  Until next time!

Just a short interview with Reilly Brown, Marvel artist on books like Incredible Hercules, Cable & Deadpool, Marvel Apes, and New Warriors, to name a few.  We talked with Reilly live from San Diego Comic Con about the con and his upcoming digital comics.  It’ll only take a few minutes of your time, give it a listen!

Ragin’ Ravens – Episode 13

Music:

Five Iron Frenzy – Juggernaut
Coheed and Cambria – Welcome Home

Got a little behind with things yesterday, as I’m still trying to figure out the ropes on this whole “reviewing new books on Thursday” thing, but I’m confident that I’ll have it down soon.  Apologies for the delay, by why not take this opportunity to move forward?  Shall we?  As always, I pick up my comics at Comics and Paperbacks Plus in Palmyra, PA.  You can find them on Facebook here or here, or you can stop in if you find yourself in Central Pennsylvania. You can also follow me on Twitter, just to see what I think of my books as I read them!  Here’s what I got this week:

Avengers #15
The Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #1
Daredevil #1
Hellblazer #281
Herc #5
Hulk #37
Invincible Iron Man #506
Marvel Universe vs. Wolverine #2
War of the Green Lanterns: Aftermath #1

And now, here’s what I thought:

Invincible Iron Man #506

Marvel Comics, $3.99

Matt Fraction, Salvador Larroca, Frank D’Armata. Alejandro Arbona

Review by Erik Lewis

From Marvel’s Fear Itself #4 to Invincible Iron Man #506, we follow Tony Stark.  In Fear Itself, he petitions Odin for aid from the base of the World Tree, and in a stroke of genius, decides to sacrifice the things that mean most to him: his sobriety and his dignity.  It works, of course, and Odin decides to take Tony to Svartalheim where he will work with the same dwarves that forged mighty Mjolnir to first repair the arc reactor that was damaged in his fight with the hammer-wielding Grey Gargoyle in Paris(which also took out Detroit Steel) and then to forge weapons that will hopefully give Captain America and the Avengers a chance to turn the tide against Sin and the Serpent in Blitzkrieg USA.  I think what Fraction is doing here is actually very good, and while I don’t really need this issue to understand what’s happening in Fear Itself, it’s a nice diversion, and it’s nice to see that Marvel isn’t just ignoring that Iron Man is a huge part of Fear Itself.  Ok, so maybe he’s not as huge to the story as Captain America or Thor are, but he’s still huge.  One interesting thing about the turn that Fraction takes here is how he handles Tony’s sacrifice of sobriety.  I know that all it really takes is one good(or hell, bad) excuse to relapse from sobriety, and it may just be me not wanting the character to go down this path, but I find Tony’s continued drinking in this book to be something of a hard sell.  It’s actually because of that that this book does so well for me, though.  It makes you care about the character to the point of making the book a little uncomfortable.  Plus, Fraction writes great dwarves, even when their dialogue is half runed-out swear words.  The subplot of Pepper and the Hammer people loos in Paris with Grey Gargoyle still on the loose is also very compelling, and I can’t wait to see how it plays out.  I have no complaints about the artwork; Asgardian scenes look appropriately epic, and Earth scenes look a little darker.  The artist’s storytelling style works really well for Fraction’s writing style.  A fantastic read, even if it is a tie-in.

Volstagg’s Beard 4/5

Hellblazer #281

DC/Vertigo, $2.99

Peter Milligan, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Stefano Landini, Shelly Bond

Review by Erik Lewis

As a long-time reader of Hellblazer, one of my favorite things about the series is that it has a memory of itself, which probably comes from the fact that time moves regularly in Hellblazer, and the fact that the series has never been rebooted.  Whatever the reason, though, I love that for John Constantine, things that happened 200 or more issues ago, or things that happened 6 issues ago all can have an impact on his life in the current issue.  This particular issue is the end of the arc where Gemma, Constantine’s niece, is getting revenge on John for something he didn’t do.  Specifically, when the demon who was posing as John raped her in the bathroom at his own wedding reception.  The whole ordeal has taken Gemma to a very dark place, indeed.  It’s a place that sees her consorting with demons and helping John’s enemies get even with him, even if “getting even” involves killing her former favorite uncle.  It’s interesting and a little sad to see Gemma come to hate her uncle, even if it is true to form for Constantine.  You really can’t get away with being close to him without getting hurt in one way or another.  It’s something that’s been established about the character, and something that every writer who takes on Hellblazer continues, and continues superbly.  Anyway, back to what I was saying about Gemma; it’s interesting to see her come to hate her uncle, and completely understandable, but it’s more than a little redeeming for her character the see her come to Epiphany to get her uncle some help.  For John’s part of the story, it’s more than a little cool to see him in a fight with a demon, because while he’s a renowned mage, combat really isn’t his strong suit.  This arc wraps up fairly neatly, and I, for one, cannot wait for what comes next.

Ollie’s Beard 3/5

Marvel Universe vs. Wolverine #2

Marvel Comics, $3.99

Jonathan Maberry, Laurence Campbell, Lee Loughridge

Review by Erik Lewis

It may be an alternate universe and not the normal 616, but honestly, it’s not that far off.  With this title, Maberry has proved to me that he can write just about any character in the Marvel Universe more than adequately.  Let me start by saying that I’m not usually a fan of Wolverine, but with this title, Maberry has taken the character and turned him into someone I could read more than four issues about.  Maberry, just like I wrote about his interpretation of Doctor Doom during Doomwar, really seems to get into the heads of the characters he writes, and Wolverine is no exception.  If you haven’t read Marvel Universe vs. The Punisher, it’s not exactly required reading to understand this title, but it certainly helps set both the scene and the tone for this miniseries.  Our story thus far: After watching Spider-Man eat the Rhino on live TV, Wolverine goes to Reed Richards to find out why it happened.  After some very scientific setup(something Maberry does wonderfully in both his novels and his comics), Wolverine is put on the trail of someone who murdered and ate Psylocke and seems similar to Spider-Man.  He hunts this killer for all of the first issue, and when it turns out to be Angel, Wolverine knows that things in the world have changed, that the status quo will not be preserved, and that people hunting people is now pretty much the norm.  This issue sees Wolverine and Punisher(who is immune to the spreading disease and pretty much the cause of the spread) working together to try and get through a city gone mad.  It’s all very interesting and very driving, especially the turn near the end of the book, and reveal of something that has been building all issue on the last page.  This is something, that, upon first glance, you might write off as being another Marvel Zombies book, but if you were to write it off, that would be a mistake.  Maberry takes the zombie idea and looks at it differently, and that difference is enough to make for an interesting and intelligent read.  Do yourself a favor and read this series.

Ollie’s Beard 3/5

Herc #5

Marvel Comics, $2.99

Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, Neil Edwards, Cory Hamscher, Jesus Aburtov, Mark Paniccia

Review by Erik Lewis

Herc is not really what you think of when you think of Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente on Hercules, but that’s really part of the charm.  Of course, you have Hercules in the book, and an all new supporting cast of characters(although it seems to be a somewhat revolving cast), and Amadeus Cho is conspicuously absent.  It’s alright though, the premise is more than enough to make up for it.  For those of you who don’t know, during Chaos War, Hercules gave up his omnipotence as a Sky Father to save the Marvel Universe from destruction at the hands of the Chaos King, and even used some of his power to bring back previously dead heroes(see Alpha Flight, out now), but in the course of things has lost all of his godly powers.  So, no longer immortal(with all the drawbacks that entails), Hercules has appointed himself the protector of Brooklyn.  What’s really interesting about this issue is that while it’s a Fear Itself tie-in, it’s really only coincidentally so.  I mean, While he’s in New York during the Blitzkrieg, he’s still doing his own thing, and handling the problems of his own pantheon, rather than trying to help “cousin Thor” out of his jam.  Van Lente and Pak have the perfect take on Hercules, too.  He wants to help, and he knows how to fight and who to trust, although in recent issues, that’s been escaped Raft inmates, but hey, if it works, it works.  And while he’s been tempted with regaining his immortality(and all the perks that entails), he embodies the ideal of the hero that he’s come to represent and chooses to remain mortal, if only for the chance to help those that need help.  Lastly, the ending of the issue, while it may be one of the oldest tricks in the book, makes sense and is entertaining enough to guarantee that I’ll be getting the next issue.

Volstagg’s Beard 4/5

Butcher: Baker, Candlestickmaker #1

Dynamite Comics, $3.99

Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson, Tony Avina, Joseph Rybandt

Review by Erik Lewis

For fans of Garth Ennis’s The Boys, this title is a must read.  Finally, we get the back story of the leader of the titular group, in an arc that could have been handled by the main title, but gets it’s own miniseries instead.  It’s a brilliant strategy, really, in that what could take up valuable story space in the main comic instead gets it’s own book, meaning that Dynamite will get just a little bit more money from you while you continue to get a complete, unbroken story in the pages of the main title.  Part of me wishes that the story of Mother’s Milk and the Frenchman were handled in the same way.  In the first issue of this story, time kind of skips around.  In the present, we see Butcher visiting his father’s viewing at his former home, and in the past, we get the story of Butcher’s early childhood, as well as a brief look at some of his time in the military, during which he showcases the fortitude that we’ve come to expect from the leader of The Boys.  The largest portion of the book, however, is the part that tells about Butcher’s early childhood, and while it’s far from surprising to see the conditions of Butcher’s family life, it is compelling.  It’s interesting to note that had he been raised by just his father, or even his father and mother, the Butcher would be a very different character.  It’s the combined influence of his younger brother, father, and mother that start him down the path to become the man he is when we meet him in the pages of the Boys.  The composite personality that he shows is really the takeaway here, and if you’re curious about how someone could grow up to become what he is, then it’s definitely worth your time.

Ollie’s Beard 3/5

Daredevil #1

Marvel Comics, $3.99

Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera, Joe Rivera, Stephen Wacker

Review by Erik Lewis

While seeing Mark Waid’s name on the first page was a little disappointing as I was thoroughly enjoying Andy Diggle’s take on the character, Waid’s approach to Daredevil in this first issue is fantastic.  After the events of Shadowland and DD Reborn, Matt Murdock is back in New York City, reassuming his role as a trial lawyer and as the costumed hero Daredevil.  Mark Waid takes a great tack on Murdock’s life as Daredevil, having the hero thwart a kidnapping attempt at a mafia wedding, masterminded by the Spot, as well as having Daredevil attacked by someone who knows him very well.  I’m sure the reasons for the attack are justified, especially after the events of Shadowland, but all of that is enough to get me interested in the next issue without even touching on what seems to be the best part of the comic.  For a lot of Daredevil fans the way to make a story about Daredevil as interesting as possible is to balance out his justice-seeking vigilante career with his justice-seeking law career(and this is, in fact, the reason why a lot of people felt the Ben Affleck movie wasn’t very good).  Murdock certainly has a lot in front of him if he wants to maintain that balance, but he seems to be on the right path to do so.  All of this only describes the main story, by the way.  The book also features a backup story that works for completely different ways.  It shows the relationship between Foggy Nelson and Matt in a perfect light, and to top it all off, the art style is perfect to show a blend of Matt’s heightened senses and a pace to the story.  Larger panels blend with smaller ones to describe what Matt senses as he walks through New York with Foggy, discussing things.  Really, you couldn’t ask for a more perfect backup story.  This book serves as a perfect jumping-on point for new readers, as well as a welcome fresh start for long-time Daredevil fans, and is not to be missed.

Odin’s Beard 5/5

And that’s it for Single Combat for this week.  Again, sorry for the delay.  Be sure to watch my twitter stream for another update today, though.

What’s this?  Two single issue review columns in one week?  Yes.  Hell yes!  Starting this week, and continuing until something else comes up, single issues will be reviewed the day after they come out!  This is in an effort to give you either a warning about bad comics(God forbid), or let you know about awesome comics.  So, without anything further, let’s begin!  As always, I pick up my comics at Comics and Paperbacks Plus in Palmyra, PA.  You can find them on Facebook here or here, or you can stop in if you find yourself in Central Pennsylvania. You can also follow me on Twitter, just to see what I think of my books as I read them!  Here’s what I got:

Alpha Flight #2
Amazing Spider-Man #665
B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth: Monsters #1
Captain America #1
FF #6
Ghost Rider #1
Hellboy: The Fury #2
Incredible Hulks #632
Mystery Men #3
Red Wing #1
THe Unwritten #27

And here’s what I thought:

Amazing Spider-Man #665

Marvel Comics, $3.99

Dan Slott, Ryan Stegman, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Michael Babinski, John Rauch, Tom Brevoort

Review by Erik Lewis

I think this is my favorite comic of the week, which is a little surprising when you take a look at this week’s pull list, but also not surprising due to the expected level of quality you get from Dan Slott.  The only thing that could lead someone to believe that this book could possibly be anything short of completely amazing(no pun intended) is that this is a one-off issue between the end of the last arc and the start of Spider Island.  If you thought you could skip this book because of that, you’re sorely mistaken.  While avoiding spoilers, Dan Slott’s story takes us into one of Peter Parker’s oldest relationships with Peter’s longtime friend Betty Brant and shows how Peter’s double life has begun affecting that particular relationship.  There’s a lot happening in this issue, which is packed with cameos from every person involved with Spider-Man’s life on the other side of the mask.  Slott takes us on a journey that parallels the events that made Spider-Man into what he is today, the events that made “With great power comes great responsibility” into his mantra, something that Slott himself is not afraid to call attention to, using Aunt May as a mouthpiece  The end of the main story is so touching that I teared up a little bit, and I’m not afraid to admit it.  Then, there’s the backup story, which revolves around Aunt May and her husband Jameson Sr. announcing that they’re moving to Boston.  It’s a nice farewell to Aunt May(I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of her) that also calls attention to Spider-Man’s published history and the experiences he’s had living with and around his Aunt.  Again, I teared up a little.  Slott’s artists don’t slouch either, and it’s only fitting that I give Stegman and Camuncoli a mention for the solid, steady, easy to follow and clear art that they provide.  If not for them, Slott’s stories wouldn’t have the same emotional impact on this longtime Spidey reader.  Do not miss this book!

Odin’s Beard 5/5

Hellboy: The Fury #2

Dark Horse Comics, $2.99

Mike Mignola, Duncan Fegredo, Scott Allie

Review by Erik Lewis

Hellboy has been very interesting lately, and it’s very interesting to see that Mignola has definitely been going somewhere as far back as Seed of Destruction.  The Fury seems to be the culmination(or very near to the culmination) of the massive Hellboy story he’s been telling.  Recently, Hellboy found out that he’s descended from King Arthur,  and therefore is worthy to wield Excalibur and command Britain’s noble dead.  In a move that really shocks no one, he chooses not to accept that responsibility and leaves the sword with a woman who he saved from death as a child.  I think that brings us up to speed.We have Hellboy, who gave one of his eyes to Baba Yaga, using the Russian witch’s powers to sneak past Nimue’s army, which includes the 4 horsemen of the Apocalypse, so that he can face her one-on-one.  Through her constant monologuing(seriously, even Hellboy tells her to shut up), the creature essentially reveals that she’s the dragon that will end all life, the serpent responsible for Ragnarok.  What Mignola does so well here is he blends so many different myths and legends, and it’s not just his knowledgeability that’s astounding, it’s the fact that he’s able to blend them and make them feel seamless.  It’s a work of art, and that’s for sure, though I do wonder how all the Hellboy stories, read end-to-end, would follow the thread laid out so far in this story.  As always, Fegredo’s art is peerless, almost matching Mignola’s style, but adding his own flair to it as well.  As a fan of Hellboy in any capacity, live action, animated, or comic book, you would be wise to put this issue in your pull list, along with the next one.

Ollie’s Beard 3/5

Mystery Men #3

Marvel Comics, $2.99

David Liss, Patrick Zircher, Andy Troy, Bill Rosemann

Review by Erik Lewis

When it was first introduced, David Liss’ Mystery Men seemed like an awesome concept to me.  As far as we’ve been told, there have been a scattering of Marvel heroes around before World War II, and then a gigantic explosion of them since then, and while I can understand the practical reason for that(there really were no superhero comics before that era), it always bothers me a little bit  that in this medium where revisionism is common, no one’s gone back further to add history to these worlds.  Everyone seems to be ok with time travel stories where someone finds a mutant in Egypt, or wizards in England, but no one really wants to say that there were more than a few powered individuals before the “Age of Marvels,” and yes, Liss only goes back a few years before World War II, but it’s a start at least.  In this series, we’ve been introduced to The Operative, The Revenant, and Aviatrix so far, but this issue introduces us to our last two mystery men, The Surgeon and Achilles, as well as giving us a glimpse at a more evolved form of our true bad guy.  I like where Liss is heading with this, and I’d definitely like to see more of these characters after this series is over, if it’s possible to fit a continuation point at the end of the last issue.  Zircher is a capable artist, to say the least.  He can tell a good story, and his figures are clean, and his action is appropriately lead, but what I like best about him is that he plays with things like panel layout and panel structure.  He plays with them to the point of making things interesting, but not to the point of distraction, which is nice.  If you’re looking for a decent story with good art, Mystery Men just might pique your interest.

Ollie’s Beard 3/5

FF #6

Marvel Comics, $2.99

Jonathan Hickman, Greg Tocchini, Paul Mounts, Tom Brevoort

Review by Warren Taylor

FF just continues to impress! A new ark started a couple of issues ago that not only included multiple Reed Richards from other dimensions, but multiple EVIL Reed Richards from other dimensions! Issue 5 left us with quite the cliff hanger, but issue 6 doesn’t continue that thread … yet. In a great move, we get an entire issue about the Kree and what happened to Black Bolt (for those of us who didn’t read War of Kings). The opening monologue is very Lord of The Rings-esque and just piles on hype the whole way through. The previous story is so engaging that one might think that this is a throwaway issue, but that one is most definitely wrong. It’s easy to tell that this is the start of something larger and we’re only getting a glimpse at the tip of the iceberg. That’s right, a glimpse at the tip. You get the feeling that there’s so much more to discover. But that’s what makes the new FF series so great, it never gets stale. There are a lot of characters and a lot of things going on, but it still reads like a Fantastic Four comic, a SMART Fantastic Four comic. For those of you who miss the Human Torch and your favorite foursome, have no fear, the same feeling is alive and well within the pages of FF. Hickman is doing a wonderful job providing some great stories time and again. The issue count may only say “6” but the world created here feels a lot more mature than that. For a great read and a great jumping on point, issue 6 is the one for you.

Volstagg’s Beard 4/5

The Red Wing #1

Image Comics, $3.50

Jonathan Hickman, Nick Pitarra, Rachelle Rosenberg

Review by Erik Lewis

To be perfectly honest, I think I would have missed this book if not for meeting with Nick Pitarra at a comic convention.  You see, I like to walk through Artist Alley and take a look at all the up and coming artists, so I can remember names to look out for(and I occasionally like to look for artists and writers I already know, to see what they’re up to and get autographs).  I walked past Pitarra’s table, took a look at his stuff and stopped in my tracks.  See, his art looks like it was drawn by a friend of mine, at least before it’s been colored.  The thickness of his lines, the neatness of his backgrounds, everything.  It looked so much like this friend’s work, that I had to do a double take to make sure I hadn’t just bumped into him.  I talked with Pitarra for a moment, and he let me know that the art was for, well, this book, and gave me the premise, which essentially boils down to a war though time, but what really sold me on the art was the sequence on page 7 of the finished copy.  There was just so much going on through those panels, and each one was interesting enough to occupy me for a few minutes.  The rest of the issue and the story do not disappoint.  Hickman, as always, is cooking up something big here, even if he does fall into an old trope that if something is mentioned as “impossible,” it will probably be done.  It may be a bit of a cliche, but it’s also a little necessary.  I’m not saying that the overall premise can’t stand on it’s own, because it absolutely can, it’s just that with this added in, there’s another layer of depth to the story, and it gives Hickman the ability to bounce back and forth in time and keep the reader occupied in more exciting ways.  At any rate, if you’ve been a fan of any of Hickman’s stuff, you should give this book a try, and between the story and the art, you shouldn’t be disappointed.

Volstagg’s Beard 4/5

Captain America #1

Marvel Comics, $3.99

Ed Brubaker, Steve McNiven, Tom Brevoort

Review by Erik Lewis

As much as I hate to see Bucky go as Captain America, I have to admit, it’s nice to have Steve Rogers back in his old costume again, and with all that’s going on for Steve, it’s a little hard to figure out where this story fits in the timeline, but it’s something easily overlooked in the name of a good Captain America story.  As always, Brubaker puts in a good setup, and I’m not even sure where he’s going to go with it.  We start at the funeral of Peggy Carter, Sharon Carter’s  aunt and Steve’s old flame from World War II.  I’ll admit, I was pretty sure that it was going to be Bucky’s funeral, but I suppose he’ll get his own title for that, or it will be dealt with in Fear Itself, and I’m ok with that.  Actually, now that I think about it, if the Sentry got his own funeral book, Bucky better get one too.  Anyway, as if often the case with Captain America stories, Brubaker focuses on the “man out of time” aspect of the character, which is fine when it’s done right, and Brubaker does it right.  There’s just the right amount of mystery in the characters from Cap’s past, there’s character conflict and not just from allied soldiers and Hydra agents.  Brubaker gives us a lead in Cap’s present that comes from his past, 2 generations of super villains, and makes suere to include Cap’s all-star supporting cast, with the only notable absence being Falcon. McNiven does a fantastic job on the art, to boot, making everything about this story flow.  Together, Brubaker and McNiven give us a Captain America book that feels like a #1 should feel, and that will serve as a perfect jumping on point for new readers gaining interest from the Captain America movie.

Volstagg’s Beard 4/5

And that’s all there is for the second half of this week!  Be sure to come back next week for more single issues, as well as the return of both “The Asgardian Trade Commission” and “Mortals, Take Cover!”

So it’s been a little while since I did this, but I’d like to thank you for coming back, and I’d like to give a big thanks to any and all of my readers who helped me recently, whether it was by buying some books, or simply hitting the retweet button.  Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

That said, this blog is, first and foremost, a comic review blog, so let’s get to the reviews!  As always, I pick up my comics at Comics and Paperbacks Plus in Palmyra, PA.  You can find them on Facebook here or here, or you can stop in if you find yourself in Central Pennsylvania. You can also follow me on Twitter, just to see what I think of my books as I read them!  Here’s what I got:

Captain America & Thor: Avengers #1
Supreme Power #2
Jonah Hex #69
Flashpoint #3
Fear Itself #4
Heroes for Hire #9
Moon Knight #3
Red Skull: Incarnate #1
Thunderbolts #160

And here’s what I thought:

Red Skull: Incarnate

Marvel Comics, $2.99

Greg Pak, Mirko Colak, Matthew Wilson, Alejandro Arbona

Review by Erik Lewis

Bear with me while I get my head straight here, it’s been more than six months since I exercised my reviewing muscles, but I figured a Greg Pak book would be a good place to start.  Pak is definitely a favorite of mine, so it comes as no surprise that I was looking forward to the release of this book.  Red Skull: Incarnate stars, naturally, Johann Schmidt, better known for his super villainy as the Red Skull.  What someone could imagine or expect from the biography of a serial killer is what you can expect from this title.  In the first chapter, we’re introduced to a young Johann Schmidt and we follow him through more cruelty than any young boy deserves, but what’s interesting about it is seeing where the young Schmidt makes choices that start him down the road to becoming the foil to Captain America that we know him as.  The story is just the right amount of chilling and heartbreaking so far, and in fact, the only piece of criticism I can level at it is that I would have liked to see the book begin a little bit earlier in young Schmidt’s life, if only so we could feel a little more attachment to the character as he starts to make his choices, but I can understand why it starts and ends where it does.  As for the art, we’ll start with the cover.  David Aja knocks it out of the park with a cover that’s as eye-catching and shocking as the story between the folds, all by simply mimicking the somewhat minimalist style of Nazi propaganda.  For an interior artist, Mirko Colak is not a name that I’m familiar with, but after being introduced to his art work, I would gladly pick up another one of his books.  Each panel flows neatly into the next, and there’s never any questions of what the Colak is trying to get across.  His faces are expressive, his action is clean, he leaves really nothing to be desired.  I await the next installment in this series eagerly.

Odin’s Beard 5/5

Thunderbolts #160

Marvel Comics, $2.99

Jeff Parker, Declan Shalvey, Frank Martin Jr., Tom Brennan

Review by Erik Lewis

Alright, that last review felt good.  Got my reviewin’ muscles stretched, and I’m ready to tell you about some more comic books!  As is the case with so many other Marvel comics these days, Thunderbolts has been touched by Fear Itself, and it’s one of the most strongly affected by Fraction’s event, in that one of the core members has become “Worthy.”  I have a bit of a soft spot for Juggernaut, and I remember Parker doing pretty well with him before I stopped picking up comics, but let me tell you, coming back and seeing this issue was a pretty nice treat.  Apparently, while I was gone, Parker was busy building the Thunderbolts roster to double or more than double what I was used to, as well as giving the prisoners more dastardly schemes than before.  Seeing Satana in action was kind of cool, and I really like the way she works with Man-Thing, but the most interesting and fun part of the book comes when Satana inscribes runes on Ghost, allowing herself, Songbird, Ghost, Moonstone, and Mach V to all enter Juggernaut’s consciousness and psychically challenge Kuurth for dominance of Cain Marko.  A bit of a spoiler, Kuurth wins, but if it were that easy, this subplot would have been dealt with when he was introduced in Fear Itself.  What makes that part of the book so interesting is not the idea of challenging this possessing entity, but rather Shalvey’s artwork, which comes across as a nonstandard grouping of talking pictograms and somewhat jumbled backgrounds.  It’s every interesting, and eye-catching enough to get you looking and paying attention to every panel.  Heck, it had me go back and look over the sequence a couple extra times.  I love that Parker’s series can do that, introduce something new like that and have it seem natural.

Volstagg’s Beard 4/5

Fear Itself #4

Marvel Comics, #3.99

Matt Fraction, Stuart Immonen, Wade Von Grawbadger, Laura Martin, Tom Brevoort

Review by Erik Lewis

During our interview with the fantastically fun-to-talk-to Matt Fraction, he let us know that he “(couldn’t) believe what (Marvel) let (him) get away with in Fear Itself,” and reading issue #3 and the setup at the end of this issue, it’s easy to understand.  That said, even though I love Bucky as Captain America, and *SPOILERS FOR ISSUE 3* didn’t really want to see him die, I’m loving Fear Itself so far.  It’s an intangible idea, really, what is fear itself, but I think that Fraction captures the idea perfectly, with all out terror, no one really being safe, and just the general frenetic pace of it all.  Not only that, but, as he promised, you can get the whole story just by reading the core title, but that doesn’t stop him from leaving open spots for other writers to take, and even making those tie-ins seem appealing.  Who doesn’t want to know what Alpha Flight(by Pak and Van Lente) have to do in this time of crisis?  Who doesn’t think the Juggernaut fighting his own team of Thunderbolts is interesting?  But, back to this book.  Fraction gives us something we rarely see these days in Marvel, the Big Three finally teaming up to accomplish some good, with Tony Stark making a huge sacrifice of the thing he holds most dear to attract Odin’s attention, Thor willing to give his life for the good of Midgard, and Steve Rogers, back in his Captain America duds, leading the Avengers.  I can see where this book will definitely change things in the Marvel Universe, I just hope Fraction doesn’t go so far as to take one of these big players out of the game.  I can see a vague outline of where this title is going, and I’m definitely in it for the rest, and I think you should be too, if only for the core title.  Excellent work!

Volstagg’s Beard 4/5

Flashpoint #3

DC Comics, $3.99

Geoff Johns, Andy Kubert, Sandra Hope, Eddie Berganza

Review by Erik Lewis

And now I’ll weigh in on the summer event from DC!  Flashpoint was a little more involved than Fear Itself, I will admit.  When I went to the comic store, I decided I wanted to see what Flashpoint was all about, so I picked up some stuff I thought I would need to get into it, and when I got home around 3 o’clock that day, I started digging into the pile.  I didn’t hit this issue until after 6.  There’s been a lot of build to Flashpoint, and while I’m sure that I didn’t need to read it all the get the whole story, it sure didn’t hurt.  I find that Johns’ revisionist DC Universe is very interesting, but this doesn’t surprise me.  I’ve been a fan of Elseworlds for a while now, and while this isn’t technically an Elseworld, it certainly has that feel to it.  On top of that, I generally think that Geoff Johns does no wrong in comics.  Flashpoint, while being a way to usher in the DC Universe’s New 52 lineup, also seems to me like just plain fun comics.  As you can tell by the cover, this issue introduces Project Superman, and I love the direction they took with that.  I think the disjointed way that Barry remembers things is pretty cool, putting Cyborg in what is essentially Superman’s spot as America’s #1 metahuman is an inspired choice, as is the warping of Batman.  It all makes sense in it’s own little world, and luckily that’s what it is.  I’m not prepared to say which is better between this title and Fear Itself yet, and likely won’t be prepared to make that decision until they hit issue numbers 7 and 5 respectively, but I can say that Flashpoint, just like Fear Itself, will do you no wrong in you put it(or already have it) on your pull list.

Volstagg’s Beard 4/5

Captain America & Thor: Avengers #1

Marvel Comics, $4.99

Fred Van Lente, Ron Lim, Miki, Jon Rauch, Ralph Macchio

Review by Erik Lewis

Where to start with this one?  I love it, I’ll say that, but I also think it’s a brilliant tie-in piece by Marvel.  Sure, looking as a comic fan, I’m sure some of you think that the 5 dollar price tag is a bit steep, but what you get here is a book that’s heavy on content(Van Lente content, at that, and the artists are no slouches either), with 2 full stories featuring the two Avengers who have movies out this summer, at a price that’s just slightly less than buying a single Captain America issue and a single Thor issue would be.  Try to imagine that you’re a parent and you’ve just taken your child to see Captain America, and earlier this summer they saw Thor.  Now your kid is interested, and you just need to find the right book to give them more of what they want.  Boom, two things taken care of with one book.  Sold.  Now, about the content; Van Lente works with a Captain America story that showcases the idealism that is characteristic to Captain America perfectly, and a Thor story that shows the dynamic and the entire viewpoint of pre-Midgard Thor perfectly, but the real beauty in Van Lente’s stories is in their simplicity.  Through the course of this 44 page book(two 22 page stories, they’re really full comics!) never once do you feel cheated out of a complete story for either character.  Never once do you feel you need to buy another book to get more details.  It’s all here, they’re fantastic once-and-done stories, and quite frankly, they’re what the comic industry needs.  An inexpensive book for the content given, with compellingly written all-ages content.  It’s something that, sadly, we don’t see too much of, and even if it is a movie tie-in, it’s still worth it for what it represents.

Ollie’s Beard 3/5

Moon Knight #3

Marvel Comics, $3.99

Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev, Matthew Wilson, Tom Brevoort

Review by Erik Lewis

Moon Knight was a book I had heard a lot of buzz about, and I figured I would track down the first two issues and this one to see how it was.  First off, I’d like to say that the change of scenery from New York to L.A. was refreshing.  The premise for the book is very interesting, in that Marc Spector, a character who has always experienced multiple personalities(or if not always, for as long as I’ve been familiar with the character) is now hearing the voices of Captain America, Spider-Man, and Wolverine in his head.  I’m not sure what interactions Marc has had with Cap or Wolverine, but I know he has worked with Spider-Man in the past.  I think one of the most interesting things is how he lets one of their personalities take over, as it adds a level of unpredictability to the character.  Now, this issue is a little misleading, what with the cover and all.  I was hoping that either Bullseye would make an appearance, or that Bullseye was another voice in Marc’s head that we hadn’t heard from yet.  That would have been an interesting dynamic to add in, Marc hearing from supervillains as well as heroes, but instead, what we get is a story about Marc’s L.A. help, told in flashbacks.  Honestly, I can understand the diversion, but I feel like this story, this far in to a new title and story arc, kind of breaks the momentum that Bendis was building with issues 1 and 2.  That said, though, it’s not terrible, and it’s not a waste of money, even if it does break things up just a bit.  Maleev’s art, really, is worth the price of admission alone, as every page is something wonderful and kinetic to look at, but you can pass on this one safely if you’re not a fan of Bendis.

Ollie’s Beard 3/5

And that’s it for the week.  It feels good to be back, and I’d like to thank you all for reading!  Keep your eyes peeled for updates, as we’re looking to change our reviewing schedule, as well as podcasting habits, and maybe even the site itself!  See you next week!

So I’ve recently run into a bit of trouble, namely I lost my job.  It’s unfortunate, I know, but I’m not one to give up.  What does this have to do with comics, you ask?  Well, in an effort to keep myself afloat until I’m able to find another job or other means of compensation, I’ve gone through my collection to see what I could part with and what I absolutely had to keep.  After all this setup is a list of graphic novels(single issues will be up as soon as I’m able to catalog them) I decided I would be able to part with, no matter how good I thought they were.  A number of of these comics and graphic novels have been reviewed here on the site.

So, how can I get these comics you ask?  Simply make a donation, and I’ll send you something of your choice!  Anything you can give will be appreciated.  Check out this donation guide to see what you can get:

1 dollar: Single issue(bagged and boarded)
5 Dollars: Any 6 single issues(bagged and boarded) or 1 Graphic Novel or Hardcover
10 Dollars: 12 single issues(bagged and boarded) or 3 Graphic Novels or Hardcovers
20 Dollars: 12 single issues(bagged and boarded) AND 3 Graphic Novels or Hardcovers, or 24 singles, or 6 Graphic Novels/Hardcovers

Of course, you may be wondering how often I will update this list: as items are requested, of course on a first come, first served basis, the list will be updated.  I will be updating this post via timestamp whenever changes are made, so check back frequently if there’s something you want.

Lastly, should you choose to donate, please include a reasonable amount to include shipping for the comics you’d like(i.e. a dollar or two would cover the cost of shipping a few issues, but not 6 graphic novels).

Thank you for reading this far.  Again, I appreciate whatever help you can give.  Below is the donation link and the list of available graphic novels:

Donations

Updated 6/7/2011 10:43 PM

Graphic Novels and Hardcovers

Marvel:

New Warriors Vol. 1-3
Nova Vol. 1-4
The Pulse Vol. 1-2
Squadron Supreme: The Pre-War Years Vol. 1
Supreme Power Vol. 1
Squadron Supreme: Power to the People
She-Hulk Vol. 4
The Amazing Spider-Man: Kraven’s First Hunt
Spider-Man: Blue
Eternals
Thunderbolts: Justice, Like Lightning…
Avengers The Initiative Vol. 2-3
The Mighty Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest
Daredevil Legends Vol. 3
Wolverine Weapon X Vol. 1
Strange Tales: Thing/Dr. Strange/Human Torch
Strange Tales: Hulk/Wasp/Hank Pym
Exiles vol. 16

DC:

Shadowpact: Cursed
Shadowpact: Darkness and Light
Prelude to Infinite Crisis
Justice Society of America: Justice Be Done
Justice League of America: Primeval
Realworlds: Justice League of America
Jenny Sparks
Ex Machina Vol. 7
Scalped Vol. 3
Batman-Spawn: War Devil
Starman: Night and Day

Independent:

The Liberty Project
Garage Band
The Green Hornet: Parallel Lives
Invincible Vol. 1
Haunt Vol. 1

Single Issues

#-
1 Month 2 Live – 1, 2, 5
1602 – 7, 8
1602 New World – 4
4 – 24, 25

A-
Abe Sapien: The Abyssal Plain – 1
Abe Sapien: The Haunted Boy – 1
Adventure Comics – 4
The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix – 1
The Adventures of Spider-Man – 1
The Adventures of Superman – 518
Age of Heroes – 1, 2
Amazing Spider-Man – 273, 274,  278, 279, 282-284, 287, 290-292, 296, 297, 355-357, 366, 369-372, 405, 525, 592-599
Arkham Asylum – 1
Arkham Reborn – 1-3
Ares – 1-3
Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine – 2, 3
The Atom and Hawkman – 46
The Avengers – 56, 60
Avengers/Invaders – 1-12
Avengers Prime – 3
Azrael – 7

B-
Baltimore: The Plague Ships – 2
Batman: Battle for the Cowl – 2, 3
Batman – 676-684, 686, 687, 701, 703
Batman: Alive? – 1
Batman Beyond – 4
Batman Odyssey – 3
Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne – 3
Batman and Robin – 1-9, 12
Batman: Streets of Gotham – 1
Blackest Night: Batman – 1-3
Blackest Night: JSA – 1-3
Blackest Night: Titans – 1-3
Black Panther – 3, 9
Black Terror – 1
Black Widow: The Things They Say About Her… – 3
Books of Doom – 1
Booster Gold – 26
The Boys – 1, 18, 20-43, 46
B.P.R.D.: 1946 – 1-5
B.P.R.D.: 1947 – 1-5
B.P.R.D.: The Black Goddess – 1-5
B.P.R.D.: The Dead – 1-4
B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth: New World – 2
B.P.R.D.: Killing Ground – 1-5
B.P.R.D.: King of Fear – 1, 2, 5
B.P.R.D.: Plague of Frogs – 1-5
B.P.R.D.: The Warning – 1-5
B.P.R.D.: War on Frogs – 1-4

C-
Captain America – 10, 34, 36, 41-50, 601-607, 610
Captain America: Patriot – 2
Captain America: Reborn – 1-6
Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty – 1
Captain America: Who Will Wield the Shield? – 1
Captain Marvel – 1-5
Casanova Luxuria – 3
Catwoman – 83
Chas: The Knowledge – 1-5
Chew – 14
City of Heroes – 11, 13
Civil War – 1-3
Clayface – 1
Commissioner Gordon – 1
Countdown – 34

D -
Daredevil – 503-505, 507, 508, 510
Daredevil Vs. Punisher: Means and Ends – 5
The Darkness – 75
Dark Reign: The List: Avengers – 1
Dark Reign: The List: Hulk – 1
Dark Reign: The List: Secret Warriors – 1
DC Universe Legacies – 2
Deadpool – 1, 2
Detective Comics – 846, 853
Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom – 2
Doom Patrol – 4
Doomwar – 3, 5

E-
Electric Ant – 2, 3
Exiles – 65
Exodus – 1

F-
Fall of the Hulks Alpha – 1
Fall of the Hulks Gamma – 1
Fantastic Four – 578, 580, 581, 583
First Wave – 1, 3, 4
Fist of Justice – 31
The Flash – 3, 5
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man – 1, 2

G-
Ghost Rider – 6
Girl Comics – 1, 3
The Great Ten – 1-7
Green Arrow – 46-60, 75
Green Arrow and Black Canary – 1-3, 5, 9-30, 32
Green Arrow – 1, 2, 4
Green Goblin – 1
Green Hornet – 1
Green Lantern – 174-180, 7-9, 11, 12, 19, 22-53, 55-57
Green Lantern Corps – 52
Green Lantern Corps Recharge – 2, 5
Green Lantern Emerald Warriors – 2
Gorilla-Man – 1, 3
Gotham City Sirens – 11-14
Guardians of the Galaxy – 20, 23, 25

H-
Harley Quinn – 1
Hawkeye – 3-5
Heralds – 2-4
Herogasm – 1-6
Highland Laddie – 2
House of M – 8
Nick Fury’s Howling Commandos – 1
Hulk – 1, 3-20, 23, 25
Hulked Out Heroes – 2
Human Target – 1, 5, 6

I-
I Am An Avenger – 1
Illuminati – 1
The Incredible Hulk – 87, 601-607, 610, 612, 613
Invincible – 54
Invincible Iron Man – 66, 70, 85, 1, 30
Irredeemable – 17

J-
Jonah Hex – 53, 55, 56, 59,
JLA 80-Page Giant – 1
JSA – 79
JSA Classified – 1, 5
JSA vs. Kobra – 1-6
Justice – 2
Justice League – 1
Justice League of America – 39, 46
Justice League of America Wedding Special – 1
Justice Society of America – 24-36, 40, 43

K-
Killer Croc – 1

M-
Mad Hatter – 1
Man-Bat – 1
Marvel Holiday Special – 1
Marvel Knights Spider-Man – 20
Marvel Tales Featuring Spider-Man – 248
Marvel Universe Vs. The Punisher – 3
Marvel Zombies – 2
Marvel Zombies 4 – 1-4
Marvel Zombies 5 – 2, 4
The Marvels Project, 1-8
The Mighty Avengers – 27
Mutopia X – 5

N-
Namor – 1
Namor: The First Mutant – 2
Nemesis: The Impostors – 1, 3
Millar & McNiven’s Nemesis – 2, 3
The Network – 1
New Universal – 1

O-
Oracle: The Cure – 1-3
Origins of Siege – 1
Outsiders – 24, 29, 30

P-
Peter Parker: Spider-Man – 1, 10, 56
The Phantom Stranger – 42
The Power of Shazam! – 48
The Punisher – 31, 56, 62, 66, 68, 70, 71
The Punisher 2099 – 2
The Punisher War Journal – 36-39
The Punisher War Zone – 3, 6, 12
Prelude to Deadpool Corps – 1, 4

Q-
The Question – 37

R-
Rai and the Future Force – 10
R.E.B.E.L.S. – 10
Red Hood: The Lost Days – 1, 4
Red Hulk – 1, 2, 4
Red Robin – 11, 12, 16
Reed Richards – 1, 2
Rescue – 1
Resurrection(Marvel) – 1, 3
Resurrection(Oni Press) – 0
The Rise of Arsenal – 2, 4
Rising Stars – 6
Runaways – 9

S-
Sandman: The Dream Hunters – 1-4
Savage She-Hulks – 1
The Secret Defenders – 2
Secret Invasion – 1-8
The Sentry – 2
The Sentry: Fallen Sun – 1
Shadowhawk – 0, 3, 4
Shadowhawk II – 1
Shadowland – 3
Shadowland: Blood on the Streets – 2
Shadowland: Daughters of the Shadow – 2
Shadowland: Elektra – 1
Shadowland: Moon Knight – 2
Shadowman – 5, 14, 26
Shadow Riders – 1, 2
The Shadow Strikes – 5
Shaman’s Tears – 3, 4
Shi – 8
Showcase 93 – 2
Showcase 95 – 4
Siege – 1, 2
Siege: Embedded – 1, 2, 4
Siege: Loki – 1
Siege: Secret Warriors – 1
Siege: Spider-Man – 1
Silver Sable & the Wild Pack – 1, 3
Silver Surfer – 86
Silver Surfer: Inner Demons – 1
Sir Edward Grey: Witchfinder – 1-5
Solar: Man of the Atom – 29
Solomon Grundy – 1-7
Son of M – 1
Spectacular Spider-Man – 111-118, 121-126, 130, 133-138, 199, 201-203, 221, 230, 238
Spectacular Spider-Man Annual – 6, 7, 13
Spider-Man – 17, 18, 20, 25-33. 35-37, 42, 49, 70,
Spider-Man: The Arachnos Project – 5
Spider-Man: Breakout – 2-4
Spider-Man: Chapter One – 3
Spider-Man Classics – 1
Spider-Man: Clone Saga – 1-6
Spider-Man: Fever – 1-3
Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives – 2
Spider-Man: Legend of the Spider-Clan – 3, 4
Spider-Man: The Lost Years – 3
Spider-Man: The Manga – 1
Spider-Man Noir – 1, 3, 4
Spider-Man Noir: Eyes Without a Face – 1-4
Spider-Man and X-Factor – 1, 3
Spider-Man Unlimited – 1-3
The Spirit – 1, 3
Steel – 1
Strange – 1-4
Suicide Squad – 67
Superman – 701
Superman/Batman – 23
Super-Villain Team-Up – 14
Supreme Power: Nighthawk – 1, 3
Swamp Thing – 3

T-
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – 1-5
Thanos – 1
The Thanos Imperative – 4
The Thing – 1
Thor: For Asgard – 1
Thor: First Thunder – 1
Thunderbolts – 145
The Torch – 1-5
Top 10 – Beyond the Farthest Precinct – 1, 2
Truth: Red, White, and Black – 2

U-
Ultimates 2 – 9
Ultimate Armor Wars – 1-4
Ultimate Avengers – 1, 2
Ultimate Extinction – 2
Ultimate Fantastic Four – 1-7, 9, 24, 25
Ultimate New Ultimates – 1
Ultimate Spider-Man – 69, 72-81, 83, 85
Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk – 4-6
Uncanny X-Men – 287, 462
Uncanny X-Men/New Teen Titans – 1
The Underground – 1
Undertaker – 2, 4, 6, 8, 9
Union – 2
Utopia – 1

v-
Vanguard – 2
Venom: Funeral Pyre – 2, 3
Venom: Lethal Protector – 2, 3, 6
Violator/Badrock – 2, 3, 4

W-
War of the Supermen – 0
Warheads – 4, 5, 6
Warlock and the Infinity Watch – 1, 4, 6
Weapon X: Days of Future Now – 1
Web of Spider-Man – 10, 12-25, 29, 30, 33-38, 81, 90, 101-103
Web of Spider-Man Annual 2, 3
Weird Western Tales – 71
What If? – 5, 6, 50
WildC.A.T.s Adventures – 2
WildC.A.T.s – 3
Wild Thing – 1
Wolverine – 49, 50, 35
World War Hulks – 1
Wonder Man – 1

X-
X23 – 1, 3
X-Factor – 71, 87, 1-4, 20-38, 40-50, 200-202, 206
X-Factor: Nation X – 1
X-Factor: The Quick and the Dead – 1
X-Force – 1, 2, 19, 20
X-Men – 177
X-Men Chronicles – 2
X-Men: Deadly Genesis – 1
X-Men: The Early Years – 7
X-Patrol – 1

Y-
Young Allies – 4
Young Avengers – 5-9
Youngblood – 4
Youngblood Battlezone – 1
Youngblood: Team – 15

Z-
Zatanna – 2

We’re joined in this episode by Marvel Architect Matt Fraction.  We talked with Matt about everything from Thor to Iron Man to the X-Men to Fear Itself.  This is a highly entertaining and thought-provoking interview from one of the most insightful comic writers in the business today.  Don’t miss this one!

Ragin’ Ravens – Episode 12

Music:

Five Iron Frenzy – Juggernaut
Adele – Rolling in the Deep
Freelance Whales – Generator First Floor
Adam Warrock – Heroes Requiem
Speechwriters LLC – Blood on the Frets
Professor Elemental – Fighting Trousers
Sex Bob-Omb – Threshold
Pretty Girls Make Graves – Pyrite Pedestal
Jonathan Coulton – Code Monkey
Brand New – Sic Transit Gloria…Glory Fades
Electric Six – Dance Commander
Jesse Dangerously – The Prestidigitator
Alkaline Trio – Into the Night