Mike Buzzelli’s reviews:
The Invincible Iron Man # 22
This book is pretty exciting considering the main character has been in a coma for several issues. Author Matt Fraction fills the book has a slew of famous guest stars, Steve Rogers (Do I even have to put a Spoiler alert here? He’s been showing up just about everywhere BEFORE the conclusion of Captain America: Reborn), Dr. Donald Blake (Thor’s alter ego), James Rhodes (War Machine), and now…Doctor Strange. The real action centers on recurring cast members Maria Hill and Pepper Potts sharing the spotlight with Stark himself (yeah, he’s comatose, but he’s having weird ass dreams about his parents, a shack and a bunch of murderous robots). Fraction won the book an Eisner Award for a reason…this book is a one of the best on the stands. The art provided Salvador Larroca is consistently outstanding!
Grade: A
Buffy the Vampire Slayer # 31
Look up in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a vampire slayer?!? Something wonky is happening in Tibet, Buffy can fly and Willow got her witch mojo back. Though, the big news is Buffy reveals that she has feelings for Xander, just as he revealed his secret relationship with Buffy’s sister, Dawn. It’s a conversation long in the making, and it’s heartfelt and hilarious. Creator Joss Whedon jumps back on the Buffy train and speeds it down the track. Though it’s less a secret than Captain America’s return, the wait for the actual on-the-page reveal of the secret identity of Twilight is still a few issues away, and the suspense is mounting!
Grade: A
S.W.O.R.D. # 3
Surprise! By-the-book Government Agent Henry Peter Gyrich is making trouble again. This time, at Norman Osborn’s request, he’s rounded up the Earth’s aliens and is imprisoning them. While it sounds like a good idea on paper, Runaway Karolina Dean, Young Avenger Teddy Altman AKA the Hulkling and the recently returned-to-earth New Mutant Warlock are all put in the a H.A.M.M.E.R. slammer. Abigail Brand, the Beast, and scrappy little dragon, Lockheed, are poised to save their sorry butts, but they’re in deep doo-doo, too. Author Kieron Gillen is writing the best X-book-that-kinda-isn’t-an-X-book, and Scott Sanders does some fine line work, though his Beast is funny looking.
Grade: B +
Siege #1
Brian Michael Bendis is at it again. He’s tearing apart the Marvel Universe for the eighty-seventh time. In Siege, Loki coaxes Norman Osborn into invading Asgard, after an inciting incident that Norman and Loki cause. Everyone is against the idea, including Norman’s right hand (wo)man, Hand, Ares, the god of war, Bulls(Hawk)eye, and the U.S. president. The heroes gather. The first issue goes by awfully fast, and has the shadow of Civil War and Secret Invasion looming over its overinflated head, but it’s worth checking out for Olivier Coipel’s gorgeous artwork. You’re going to buy it anyway, but it’s not highly recommended.
Grade: B-
Siege Embedded #1
Siege Embedded is a companion piece to Bendis’ Siege. Once again, stalwart reporter Ben Urich follows a gigantic news story (just as he did the Secret War, the War of the Hulks, The Civil War, the Secret Invasion, blah, blah, blah…ad nauseum.). He’s determined to take Norman Osborn down (someone should, and probably will, but it won’t be a bespectacled reporter). Read the main event and skip this sidebar.
Grade: C +
X-Factor – Nation X – One Shot
Madrox and his ragtag crew of mutant misfits visit Nation X, Cyclops’ utopian mutant paradise, Utopia (aptly named or perhaps it’s an unfortunate misnomer). It’s a threadbare plot, but it’s loaded with lots of fun character development. Peter David adds a new cosmic entity to Marvel’s pantheon, and the book has decent art by Valentine De Landro.
Grade: B
Marvel Boy: The Uranian #1
Scribe Jeff Parker pulls a lot of interesting story ideas out of Uranus with his retelling of the origin of Marvel Boy: The Uranian. Oddly enough, the book is paired with the original origin of Marvel Boy from the 50’s. So, you can compare and contrast. It’s not as good as a monthly Agents of Atlas issue, but it will suffice.
Grade: B+
Sean’s review:
The Power of SHAZAM! #48
I’m sure the undead have their own particular stench, but in this case, it smells like… poo? Jeez, someone light a match for this Blackest Night stinker! First of all, this one-shot is even more proof that no one knows how to write the Marvel Family well. Except for their abbreviated stint in JSA last year, there’s really nothing marvelous about them of late. Second of all, I’m uncertain if this a “triumph of the human spirit” story or a “here’s another clue as to how Nekron will be defeated” story. If it’s the former, why is Osiris of all people able to resist the Black Rings? “Black Adam’s magic” is a throwaway explanation since lots of magical beings have not resisted un-life in the main BN title. If it’s the latter, well, it’s a clue no one in the DCU is going to have access to.
The Marvel Families have so many stories that still need to be told, and with just one issue to do one story, they (and we) were we given this. Osiris himself says that “we were all just family,” and that would have made an excellent theme for an excellent story, but, unfortunately, we got jack shit.
Grade: D
Tim’s reviews:
Secret Six #17
I missed the first part of this storyline (I’ll be picking it up though) so I started off a bit lost, but Gail Simone and John Ostrander are pros, so I found myself caught up right away.
It seems Amanda Waller is aiming her Suicide Squad at the Secret Six, and this is giving us some great fights. Nightshade & Count Vertigo vs. Bane & Black Alice. Scandal Savage vs. Multiplex (sort of). Rick Flagg vs. Deadshot. And the fight I want to see more of, the one featured on the cover; Bronze Tiger vs. Catman. Simone and Ostrander do a fantastic job giving us a quick, dirty fight between these two master fighters. And since there is no clear winner, both guys get to save face and neither loses any status in the DCU.
The Black Lanterns are almost a distraction here, I’d be totally fine with a Six/Squad battle. But having the Lanterns show up does complicate things nicely, because these two teams have killed an awful lot of people. Another great bit is Deadshot’s emotional color: black. He has his emotions so rigidly controlled that he only has cracks of red and green showing through.
Jim Calafiore does a decent job with the art, but I do really miss Nicola Scott. Calafiore’s pencils are rather generic after Scott’s distinctive takes on the core cast.
Grade: B
Invincible Iron Man #22
Don’t get me wrong, I really like Matt Fraction’s take on Iron Man. But these stories are just dragging on too long. Tony Stark has been living in a dream world for what feels like 4 months now, and the book is dragging because the headliner is cowering in his own brain. I’m just not as interested in reading about how Pepper Potts, a doctor, and a landlady go about hiding an unconscious guy from the Ghost. It just doesn’t do it for me, I need some more action!
The main drama for the issue stems from the fact that Maria Hill is the toughest person left behind to guard Tony while he’s ko’ed. Surely the Avengers could have rustled up some low-level protection like Firebird or Living Lightning or something, right? The problem is that the difficult circumstances the main cast are in seem somewhat manufactured. Just bring Tony back to Winter Cap’s safehouse, right? Dr. Strange does show up here, claiming he can rescue Tony from his own brain, but he doesn’t actually do anything last issue. So in closing, the change between this issue and the last is that Tony was lying in a bedroom, and now he’s in a basement. And Dr. Strange came to help (but hasn’t yet).
Salvador LaRocca always gives us nice pretty pictures, and he does it again here. I just wish there was something more exciting for him to draw. Maybe the pace will pick up after Siege.
Grade: C+
