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Review: Daredevil #111

Daredevil #111 features the new story arc from writer Ed Brubaker and the new art team Clay Mann and Stefano Guadiano. After the events in the last arc, this issue opens up with Matt helping Dakota North find some relief for her injured shoulder through the healing hands of the Iron Fist himself, Danny Rand. Unbeknownst to the pair, they are being watched from above by a mysterious new villain who has taken a special affinity to one of Daredevils oldest and deadliest foes. Meanwhile, Matt finds some new trouble to throw onto his ever increasing pile of worry in a shocking surprise that really threw me for a loop!

I thought Ed Brubaker delivered a home run with this issue! The issue doesn’t feature much action, but I thought there were some fantastic moments between the players. The dialog was terrific and very believable. The surprise I mentioned above, and I’m not going to reveal it here, felt very real and didn’t feel forced and I loved Matt’s reaction to it all. I’m really looking forward to seeing the new villain, Lady Bullseye, in action. We get a brief glimpse into her origin and I can’t wait to see how Brubaker uses her in this story!

The art from the team of penciler Clay Mann and inker Stefano Guadiano was absolutely fantastic! I thought it fit in very well with what Michael Lark has been doing, and at times I found myself liking it even more. This is the first time I can remember reading a Daredevil issue and thinking Dakota North looks hot! Clay Mann is an artist I’m definately going to start keeping an eye on!

In all, this was a excellent start to this new arc! I’m absolutely loving what Ed Brubaker has been doing with this book, and can’t wait to see where he takes Matt next. Plus, if this issue is any indication, we may be getting a very cool teamup in the coming months. I highly recommend checking Daredevil #111 out if you haven’t been reading this series!

COVERS BY: MARKO DJURDJEVIC, TERRY DODSON, and DAVID AJA
WRITER: ED BRUBAKER
PENCILS: CLAY MANN
INKS: STEFANO GAUDIANO
COLORED BY: MATT HOLLINGSWORTH
LETTERED BY: CHRIS ELIOPOULOS
EDITOR: WARREN SIMONS
Rated T+ …$2.99

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Review: X-Force #7

X-Force #7 kicks off the new story arc from series creators Greg Kyle and Christopher Yost. The story focuses on the team as they try and regroup from their battle with Bastion and the Pacifiers. The revived X-men baddies that were revieled in the first arc are starting to make their reappearances around the world and are beginning their mission of spreading mutant hate. The team knows they are soon going to be going after those targets soon, but first they are going to have to deal with an even more dangerous threat!

If your looking for the super bloody, extreme violence and action you got from the last 6 issues, then you might be a little let down with this issue. However, what this story lacked in action I thought it did a great job of putting some more pieces in place that’s looking like will set up for quite a few stories to come for a while. We get some more insight into Angel’s recent change back into Archangel, as well as finding out if Rahne’s able to control herself whenever she see’s Warren. I thought there were some really great moments with Cyclops and Wolverine as Scott tries to figure out what to do with new X-Man Elixir who knows about the secret team after being called in to help heal Rahne in one of the earlier issues. Plus, we get the reappearance of one of the X-Men’s oldest foes. I’m really excited to see where this story goes. It builds upon what has been going on in the last arc, but then takes you in a new direction that I think will be very cool!

New series artist Mike Choi really delivers some solid work with this issue! I’m a fan of Mike Choi to begin with, so when I heard he was going to be doing this book I was pretty fired up. He definitely didn’t let me down! I’m really looking forward to seeing what he does with some big X-Force style action scenes! He draws a very cool Archangel, and since it now appears that he is a permanent member of the team, I can’t wait to see what he does with him in action.

In conclusion, this continues to be a book I’m really enjoying! I’m loving the new art team, and I’m excited to see what the new story arc has in store. If you haven’t checked out X-Force yet, I recommend giving it a shot. This is a great jumping on point!

COVER BY: MIKE CHOI
WRITER: CHRISTOPHER YOST & CRAIG KYLE
PENCILS: MIKE CHOI
COLORED BY: SONIA OBACK
LETTERED BY: VC – CORY PETIT
EDITOR: JOHN BARBER
Parental Advisory …$2.99

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Review: The Incredible Hercules #121

I’m going to be honest. After the Incredible Hulk became the Incredible Hercules, I dropped the title before I really even gave the book a chance. I have never been a huge Hercules fan. I always enjoyed him when he was with the Avengers, but as a solo character he was just never one who particularly interested me. Thus, the reason for dropping the book when the title changed. Over the last few months I have been hearing many people talking about how good the new book is. Well, curiosity finally got the best of me and I can totally see what everybody was talking about! This book was just pure comic book fun! The writing team of Fred Van Lente and Greg Pak deliver an off-the-wall fun ride that was a blast from beginning to end. I love the bits with Amadeus Cho here! World War Hulk kinda left me with a sour taste in my mouth for the character with the whole seventh smartest person in the world line thrown in our face every other panel. But here, he was was a great supporting character with some really funny dialog. The story as a whole, I just really had a good time with. There were great moments of action, a funny historic flashback, a few lessons in speaking ancient Greek and some hot, hormonally charged Amazons with guns! What more could you ask for?

How about some absolutely gorgeous art from Clayton Henry (Wolverine: First Class)! I absolutely loved the art in this book! Henry has a very clean line style that I thought was an excellent fit for this book. There was one scene in particular involving the Titan Atlas that I thought was just amazing! I think Guru-Efx should also get mentioned for their coloring work that helped make that scene so impressive.

In my opinion, this was a really great issue all around! I may have to go do a little back issue bin diving (oh, darn) and try and pull out some of the issues I’ve missed. I give this book two big thumbs up!

COVER BY:ARTHUR SUDYAM
WRITER: FRED VAN LENTE & GREG PAK
PENCILS: CLAYTON HENRY
INKS: CLAYTON HENRY
COLORED BY: GURU-EFX
LETTERED BY: VC – JOE CARAMAGNA
EDITOR: MARK PANICCIA
Rated A …$2.99

To find a comic shop near you, call 1-888-comicbook

Marvel Noise Episode 48

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We’re back? We’re back! Sort of… Our host makes a brief cameo before handing it over to Pat, Mike, and Steve (with the new releases and current events, the Mighty Marvel Movie Minute, and Tales From the Comic Book Bunker, respectively) and sprinkled throughout are voicemails from Carlos!

Titles mentioned include X-Men: First Class, Captain Britain and MI:13, Amazing Spider-Man, X-Men: Legacy, Mighty Avengers, and Secret Invasion.

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Discuss this episode on the forum.

Modern Science, Desperately (http://www.myspace.com/themodernscience)
11 O’Clock Comics Episode 21 (http://bullpenbulletinspodcast.com/2008/09/11-oclock-comics-episode-21/)
Comic Book Noise Episode 136 (http://www.comicbooknoise.com/?p=1981)

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Marvel items on sale, 9.17.08

Age Of The Sentry #1 Incentive Dave Bullock Variant Cover – [PI]
Age Of The Sentry #1 Regular Dave Bullock Cover $2.99
Amazing Spider-Man Vol 2 #572 Regular John Romita Jr Cover $2.99
Amazing Spider-Man Vol 2 #572 Variant David Finch Bullseye Cover $2.99
Captain America Death Of Captain America Vol 2 Burden Of Dreams TP $14.99
Captain Britain And MI 13 #5 Incentive Monkey Variant Cover – [PI]
Captain Britain And MI 13 #5 Regular Bryan Hitch Cover $2.99
Essential Iron Man Vol 1 TP All-New Edition $16.99
Essential Official Handbook Of The Marvel Universe Master Edition Vol 3 TP $16.99
Foolkiller White Angels #3 $3.99
Gene Colan Tribute Book Cover A Iron Man $9.99
Gene Colan Tribute Book Cover B Dracula $9.99
Gene Colan Tribute Book Cover C Marvel Monsters $9.99
Ghost Rider Vol 5 #27 $2.99
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2 #5 Incentive Monkey Variant Cover (Secret Invasion Tie-In) – [PI]
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2 #5 Regular Clint Langley Cover (Secret Invasion Tie-In) $2.99
Incredible Hercules #121 Incentive Monkey Variant Cover – [PI]
Incredible Hercules #121 Regular Arthur Suydam Cover $2.99
Incredible Hercules Against The World TP $14.99
Iron Man Director Of SHIELD #33 (Secret Invasion Tie-In) $2.99
Marvel Adventures Avengers #28 $2.99
Marvel Adventures Two-In-One #15 $4.99
Marvel Apes #2 Incentive Phil Jimenez Variant Cover – [PI]
Marvel Apes #2 Regular John Watson Cover $3.99
Mighty Avengers #18 (Secret Invasion Tie-In) $2.99
Marvel Masterworks Fantastic Four Vol 11 HC Regular Dust Jacket $54.99
Marvel Masterworks Fantastic Four Vol 11 HC Variant Dust Jacket $54.99
Moon Knight Vol 5 #22 $2.99
Power Pack Day One TP Digest $7.99
Punisher MAX #62 $2.99
Raymond E Feists Magician Apprentice Vol 2 TP $15.99
Secret Invasion #6 Incentive Frank Cho Variant Cover – [PI]
Secret Invasion #6 Incentive Leinil Francis Yu Sketch Variant Cover – [PI]
Secret Invasion #6 Incentive Leinil Francis Yu Variant Cover – [PI]
Secret Invasion Thor #2 $2.99
Spider-Man Brand New Day Vol 3 HC $19.99
Skrulls vs Power Pack #3 $2.99
Squadron Supreme Vol 3 #3 Incentive Monkey Variant Cover – [PI]
Squadron Supreme Vol 3 #3 Regular Greg Land Cover $2.99
True Believers #3 $2.99
Uncanny X-Men #502 (X-Men Manifest Destiny Tie-In) $2.99
X-Factor Vol 3 #35 Incentive Monkey Variant Cover – [PI]
X-Factor Vol 3 #35 Regular Boo Cook Cover $2.99
X-Men First Class Vol 2 #16 $2.99
Young X-Men #6 Incentive Monkey Variant Cover (X-Men Manifest Destiny Tie-In) – [PI]
Young X-Men #6 Regular Terry Dodson Cover (X-Men Manifest Destiny Tie-In) $2.99

Classic Marvel Figurine Collection Magazine Iron Man Movie Guide Special $22.00

Product Updates:

Captain Britain and MI 13 #5 (JUL082274D, $2.99; FOC 08/28/08) will have art by Pat Olliffe, not Leonard Kirk.
Marvel Adventures Two-in-One #15 (JUL082296D, $4.99) will contain stories from Marvel Adventures: Hulk #5, not Marvel Adventures: Fantastic Four #33. The book will still contain material from Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man #41.
Mighty Avengers #18 (SI) (JUL082308D, $2.99; FOC 08/28/08) will have art by Stephano Caselli, not Khoi Pham.
Young X-Men #6 (MD) (JUL082351D, $2.99; FOC 8/28/08) will have art by Ben Oliver, not Yanick Paquette.
Marvel Adventures: The Avengers #28 (JUL082291D, $2.99; FOC 8/28/08) & #29 (AUG082359D, $2.99; FOC 09/25/08) will exchange contents. Corrected solicitation information for each follows:
MARVEL ADVENTURES: THE AVENGERS #28
Written by Jeff Parker & Paul Tobin; penciled by Ig Guara & Mateo Lolli;cover by Sean Murphy & Guru eFX
It’s just a cat, right? I mean, the Avengers should be able to rescue a cat from a tree, right? Unfortunately, when both cat and tree are in an overlapping universe, giving them a very ghostly, and very intangible presence, that does make it a puzzler. And it’s doubly hard for the Avengers when their efforts attract a deadly interdimensional monster! Plus, the somewhat scintillating menace of…Hammerhead!
32 PGS./All Ages $2.99

Deus 8: The One Where Adam Confronts His Problems

Deus ex Comica, Part 8: It’s a Sickness was published over at Field’s Edge today. This installment is a look at the way I purchase comics, and ties back to that whole Type A personality flaw first mentioned in Part 6’s Marvel 1985. So, check out this installment, and let me know if you have any of the same afflictions.

Review: NYX: No Way Home #1

This week in selecting comics to review, I picked books that I would probably not read under normal circumstances. The first book I read was the new Venom mini and I was pleasantly surprised. Next I selected NYX. I had no knowledge of the previous series and had no idea what to expect. Having just finished the first issue, I think I get the general idea. It’s to be about some down on their luck kids with superpowers trying to get by in New York City. And that is where they lost me. I feel fairly certain this book was not written with me as part of its intended demographic; however, it was a professionally done book. Now you’re probably asking yourself if I have to be part of an intended demographic in order to enjoy something. The answer to that is, without a doubt, no. However, based on the way it was written, I’m not sure it’s intended for new readers. There were several times while I was reading that I felt as though the writer was assuming I already felt a connection to these characters, so instead of trying to develop that connection it was glossed over. All the hooks intended to create some kind of connection between reader and story seemed to rely on what has come before. Again, this may have to do with demographics; I’m not a 15-year-old girl living on my own in New York city. The narrator, Kiden, is exactly that. I remember being a 15-year-old boy and thinking 15-year-old girls were great, but now at over twice that age I’m not really that interested in the daily life and culture of the female teen world.

The writer, Marjorie Lui, captured the voice and attitude of a young girl very well, and Kalman Andrasofszky did wonders capturing and showing the body language, facial expressions, and movements of not only of Kiden but all the other people in the story. The way Lui sets up the scenes and moves the plot along is great. The transitions from scene to scene worked well, and there was no point in the story that was bogged down or confusing. Andrasofszky’s art was a high point for me. It was very realistic without going over the top. He didn’t render each hair or fill in every detail, but everything was carefully detailed giving just enough to make everything feel solid and real.

So where does this leave you, the potential reader? Well, if you’re a fan of the previous mini series, pick up this one. I think you’ll be pleased. If you didn’t read the previous series, pick it up only if the premise is interesting to you. However, I would not recommend this book as an impulse buy.

COVERS BY: ALINA URUSOV and JO CHEN
WRITER: MARJORIE LUI
ARTIST: KALMAN ANDRASOFSZKY
COLORS: JOHN RAUCH
LETTERS:JOE CARAMAGNA
EDITOR: JOHN BARBER
Parental Advisory …$3.99

To find a comic shop near you, call 1-888-comicbook

Review: Invincible Iron Man #4

Ezekiel Stane has a grudge. Li’l Zeke blames Tony Stark for the death of his dear old dad, former Iron Man villain Obadiah Stane, aka the Iron Monger. Zeke is making it his life’s mission to bring down Tony Stark as well as the company he has built, and all the while using Tony’s own Iron Man technology to do it. Can Tony stop Ezekiel in time before he destroys Stark Enterprises, as well as bringing down the Iron Man himself?

The hunt for Ezekiel Stane continues in issue four of this explosive new series from writer Matt Fraction and artist Salvador Larroca. Fraction continues to deliver a pretty solid story. I wasn’t as thrilled with this issue as I was the previous issues, but I still very much enjoyed it. The only problem I had story wise with this issue was that it seemed to slow down considerably compared to the other three. I was looking for more of the explosions, chases and action that made the first three issues a blast. Don’t get me wrong though, there are some really great moments in this issue. I loved the interaction of Tony and Maria Hill. I think Fraction has a really great grasp of both of these characters, especially Maria. And, being a big fan of chess, I loved the opening with Tony and Reed Richards playing chess on five boards simultaneously. Really, really good stuff there!

I would have to say my biggest problem with the book comes from the art. I don’t want to sound like I’m bashing Larroca’s work. I have always enjoyed his stuff in the past, especially when he was on Extreme X-Men. But his stuff in this issue just didn’t really hit with me. I thought his first three issues were much, much stronger. There were some moments with the some of the characters that I thought just didn’t look right to me, especially the scenes with Reed. Overall, it was still a good read. I would have liked a little bit more action, but their were some really great character moments that made up for it. If you haven’t checked this series out yet, it’s definitely worth giving a shot!

WRITER: MATT FRACTION
ARTIST: SALVADOR LARROCA
COLORS: FRANK D’ARMATA
LETTERS: CHRIS ELIOPOULOS
EDITOR: WARREN SIMONS
Rated A …$2.99

To find a comic shop near you, call 1-888-comicbook

Review: Venom: Dark Origin #1

Yeah, okay, where to start? I guess, as Eddie Brock would want, with the truth. I hadn’t intended to read this series. I’m not a fan of Venom. Now I’ve enjoyed his appearances over the years in Spider-Man, but have never picked up any of the series focusing on him. This was going to be no different, to my mind. Of all the titles coming out on August 6th, I’m not even sure why I decided to read this one first, but I did and I’m glad of it. This first issue is not dedicated to the origin of Venom, but rather focuses solely on Eddie Brock. Let me just say this, by the second page I had decided that Brock was waaaayyy more messed up then I ever imagined. I always saw him as a guy who made some bad choices and that his erratic/psychotic behavior was a result of his bond with the symbiote. Evidently this is not even remotely the case. This issue shows Brock’s life from elementary age up to college. We only see little snippets, but they are very telling. Within the first few pages, pages that are previewed here for you, there is an implication that Eddie Brock may have shown some early indications that he was a serial killer in the making. Or perhaps a spree killer.

Zeb Wells does an excellent job of creating interest in a character you thought you already knew. Usually, when reading a comic, or any bit of fiction really, there is the hope for some surprise twist in the story, something you didn’t see coming. The interesting thing about this story is I didn’t see the tone or direction of this story coming. Perhaps I should have, though, because it makes perfect sense. Eddie Brock becomes a much more interesting and compelling character. The question this all raises in my mind concerns the morality that played a fairly important role in Venom’s attitude toward protecting innocents. As I’ve said I’m no Venom scholar, and my recollection is vague, but I always thought his goal was to kill Spider-Man and protect the innocents. Wells may be intending to change things up a bit. I’m very interested to see where he goes from here.

The art on the book was excellent. I’ve always associated Angel Medina with Spawn, a character created by Todd McFarlane, so it seems a natural fit for him to be working on Venom, another McFarlane creation. Well, partially created by McFarlane. Anyway, the art matches the tone of the story wonderfully. It is a very detailed, but strongly cartoon based style with great use of cross-hatching, contrast, angles and perspective. The inker for Medina is Scott Hanna and colorist is Matt Milla. These three work seamlessly together. I would love to see the work at each stage to really get a feel for what each artist added to each page.

Venom: Dark Origin #1 was an interesting read, adding a great deal to a character who’s been around for quite awhile. The great thing about it is you don’t have to be a fan of Venom or Eddie Brock, you don’t have to be reading Spider-Man, or even have any knowledge of either character, really, to enjoy this book. It’s really an excellent introduction to the character. For long time fans, this starts at the beginning before Eddie Brock was Venom, so I think it’s safe to say, you’ll want to read this, too.

Surprisingly, recommended for any fan of Marvel comics.

COVER BY: ANGEL MEDINA
WRITER: ZEB WELLS
PENCILS: ANGEL MEDINA
INKS: SCOTT HANNA
COLORS: MATT MILLA
LETTERS: JOE CARAMAGNA
EDITOR: ALEJANDRO ARBONA

To find a comic shop near you, call 1-888-comicbook

Review: Patsy Walker: Hellcat #2

Her first day on her new job and Pasty Walker is already on thin ice. Actually, it’s kinda more like through the ice. After being attacked by a giant squid monster and dragged into icy Alaskan waters at the end of the first issue, Hellcat now finds herself in the company of a group of Shamans who inhabit the Middle World. The Shamans charge Hellcat with the task of finding their heir, who has apparently been kidnapped by the cannibalistic Windigo. Is the feisty Hellcat up to the task? You better believe it!

This series continues to be just a fun, kinetic read! I found this issue to be a little hard to figure out what was going on in certain spots, but it was such a fun story that I was able to look past it. Writer Kathryn Immonen does a great job of delivering a story that is keeping me interested in what’s going to happen next. And David Lafuenta’s art is not too bad either! His style is a perfect fit for this type of book and really adds to the fun, lightheartedness of it.

Hellcat is a character I’ve never been familiar with so this has been my first exposure to her. Immonen has done a great job of getting me interested in this character and wanting to find out more about her. I’m not sure how this version of Hellcat compares to the one that was in the old Avengers series, but I’m definitely going to be looking up some of her old stories! If you haven’t given this book a shot yet, I highly recommend picking it up and giving it a try!

COVER: STUART IMMONEN
WRITER: KATHRYN IMMONEN
ARTIST: DAVID LAFUENTE
COLORS: JOHN RAUCH
LETTERS: DAVE AND NATALIE LANPHEAR
EDITOR: NICK LOWE
Rated A …$2.99

To find a comic shop near you, call 1-888-comicbook

Marvel Noise Episode 43

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Welcome to the ‘no-frills’ edition of Marvel Noise. After the host says “hello”, we get Bring ’em Back, the Mighty Marvel Movie Minute, a gem from the Comic Book Bunker rises to the surface, Marvel Unbound, and pirated edition of Marvel Tales.

I want to thank everyone for sending in contributions. It’s been a rough and tough summer and Dave, Mike, Adam, Steve, Pat, Carlos, and Chris have been great friends and the show would not be the same without ’em.

Providing the universe isn’t plotting against me, next week should be somewhat of a ‘normal’ show, if there ever was one.

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Discuss this episode on the Marvel Noise forum.