Avengers Academy #30
The issue starts with a select group of individuals gathering to discuss the mutants being forced to stay at Avengers Academy. The group includes Wiz Kid, Ricochet, X-23, and Hazmat (who is not really a mutant, but was invited because she is Japanese) and shows that X-23 is still undecided on whose side she is on. Meanwhile, we get a view of the second story of this issue, showing Tigra, Hercules, Madison Jeffries, and Dr. Kavita Rao discussing Sebastian Shaw's escape and how he regained his memory recently. Hazmat and X-23 then talk about Mettle and Hazmat's feelings for him and for X-23, revealing that she doesn't actually hate her. The adults attempt to take down Shaw but each of them get beaten one by one while Reptil tries to talk to Finesse about their "relationship" when X-23 shows up, asking for info about the battle waging between the Avengers and the X-Men. X-23 admits to Finesse on how she is still undecided on which side to take and the two seem to bond a little bit, just in time to experience the X-kids and the Academy students face off. As the players on each side are decided (minus X-23), Juston and his Sentinel arrive, making the X-kids freak out. X-23 forces Juston to leave and tells the Academy kids that she sides with the X-kids, just as Shaw arrives, ready to throw down.
Well, even though I missed the issue that came before this one, I still enjoyed reading this book, as I always do. That being said, there is a possibility that I may drop the book in the future. I just cannot seem to connect to the characters anymore. Once "Final Exam", the arc after the AvX tie in, is over, I'll figure out what I'm doing with this book. But that is nothing against Christos Gage and Tom Grummett, as they provide a strong tie-in to Marvel's summer event, just like when AA tied into Fear Itself last summer. I do wish that we could have seen more of the fights going on between Shaw and the adults on campus but the book is about the kids so it is fine. I'm really looking forward to the fight with Shaw and the outcome that X-23's decision has on her classmates.
Grade: B+
Avengers Vs. X-Men #4
Marvel's blockbuster summer event continues! We start off with Wolverine, still trapped in Antarctica where he runs into Hope, who set a beer trail for him. Out in space, we see the majority of the space team has been knocked out, minus Thor, who hurls his hammer at the oncoming Phoenix. The hammer connects, forcing the Phoenix to escape towards a planet/moon. Thor believes that he was won when the Phoenix decimates the planet, showing how strong it really is. Back in Antarctica, Hope and Logan talk about Hope's plan of action, saying that she wants the power of the Phoenix in order to help the world. She invites Logan along for the ride, saying that she trusts him enough that if she goes out of control when combined with the Phoenix, he can end it quickly. In a safe house, Emma and Scott go over the situations in some of the possible locations of where Hope is. While flashing through all the locales, we get to see the X-Men and Avengers duking it out, including seeing some fights that will be/have been seen in AvX Vs. Emma looks into Captain America's mind and discovers that he knows the true location of Hope. Hope and Wolverine are shown to have infiltrated A.I.M. headquarters and steal a rocket. They fly to the moon; specifically the blue area of the moon, created by the Skrulls. Little does Hope know, Wolverine called the Avengers while she slept on the way to the A.I.M. base. As Logan tells Hope his reasons for calling the Avengers, the X-Men arrive and a fight is ready to break out. However, before any punches are thrown, Thor crashes on the moon and the Phoenix arrives.
Part four of the summer epic continues the high standard that the other issues have established. After last issue, where there was not a lot of fighting, this issue brings it back, despite the fights lasting a few panels. I honestly did not have a lot of objections when it came to this issue, as I feel as it was written pretty well and drawn equally as well, so props to Jonathon Hickman and John Romita, Jr. Act one is almost finished and it looks like it will be finishing on an epic note.
Grade: A
AvX Vs. #2
The second issue in the series of six issues showcasing the fights that the main series could not contain. The first story shows Captain America and Gambit squaring off in the Savage Land. Gambit ambushes Cap and initiates the fight. Cap hurls his shield at Gambit but he catches it and returns it to Cap, with some added energy. Cap captures Gambit but, when distracted by Tony Stark, Gambit charges up Cap's shirt and blows him up. Gambit believes that he has won but Cap wins by TKO. The second fight shows Colossus/Juggernaut throwing down with Spider-Man in Latveria. As the fight progresses, Spidey is shown having the upper edge while telling Colossunaut how the typical Spidey/Juggernaut fight goes. However, Colossunaut gains the upper hand and eventually starts hurling Doombots at Spidey, having one explode at Spider-Man. Though he is taking a beating, Spider-Man tells Colossus that not matter how strong he is, he will always be as strong in order to stop Colossus. Just as round two gets underway, however, Daredevil shows up, telling Spidey that Hope isn't in Latveria and the two leave, with Spider-Man remarking that he is surprised he is still standing. In the end, the fight is shown to have Colossus as the winner.
I'm not going to lie; the only reason I got this issue was because Spider-Man showed up in it. However, I was surprised how much I liked this issue overall. The Cap/Gambit section was extremely well written and drawn, with both being done by Steve McNiven, a favorite of the blog. The Spidey/Colossus fight was written by Kieron Gillen and it was drawn by Salvador Larroca and it was well done, save for one thing. No matter what the final outcome said, Spider-Man won that fight. Sure, Colossus roughed Spidey up, but Spider-Man had the emotional and psychological edge in that fight and, if it were to have been continued, I'm sure that Spider-Man would have won. They just needed to have a X-Man win a match so their fans didn't riot but still. They should have had a winner in the first issue because there is no way the Thing should have beaten Namor. So I'm going to edit my copy to say that Spider-Man won that match, which is the right thing.
Grade: B+
Daredevil #13
This issue starts off with Foggy finding something really upsetting in Matt's office, although we don't get to see what it is yet. We jump to Matt, who has just gotten off his date from hell, seeing as an agent of Black Spectre. Matt suits up and takes the fight to Black Spectre in the middle of a public area and, eventually, the other members of the Megacrime syndicate arrive, ready to take the Omega Drive from Daredevil. Matt attempts to take down everyone by himself but gets impaired when a member of Agence Byzantine uses sonics on him. Just when it looks like Daredevil has lost, Black Spectre shows up and turns on everyone there, helping Daredevil. The odd thing is that Black Spectre is supposed to be done. So what is going on? It was all part of Daredevil's master plan, having members of the New Avengers dress up in Black Spectre costumes to get the other syndicates of Megacrime to hunt down the group, which really has been shut down. However, just when it seems that everything is going to be okay, Daredevil gets transported to Latveria, home of Doctor Doom.
Well, this was an interesting issue, mainly because this was the first issue of the series where I was not in love with the artwork. The writing was spot on and I cannot wait to see what Foggy has found in Matt's desk and what plans Doctor Doom has for Daredevil. Do they involve Black Spectre? How did Doom transport Daredevil there? Did Foggy find Matt's collection of dirty magazines? (I kid) So that was the positive of the issue. It was the artwork, however, that I had a problem with. I know that lots of people thought that Khoi Pham's artwork was improved since the .1 issue, but I do not think so. The art in this issue was a turn off for me, which is a shame because it was an extremely well written issue. The writing is the only saving grace for this issue, so I won't dock it too much. Thankfully, I do not believe that Pham is coming back to Daredevil any time soon, but it makes me rethink about getting Scarlet Spider, seeing as he is going over to that book in the near future.
Grade: B-
Venom #18
We start off with Venom arriving at Betty's apartment, only to find out that she is out with Peter. We see that she and Peter are discussing Flash and Peter asks Betty to give Flash a second chance. After Peter leaves, Betty gets approached by Jack O'Lantern and he tries to take her until Flash shows up. Though Flash is protecting Betty, she uses a sonic pepper spray on him. Flash takes it and orders her to run. With Betty gone, Jack introduces Flash to his new friend and Savage Six member, Megatak. Megatak has the ability to travel via any electronic and looks like a boss from a video game. Flash tosses Jack at Megatak and tries to call the Avengers, only to have Megatak punch him through the phone. Flash picks up Betty and tries to get her to safety but is attacked by the new Toxin aka Eddie Brock. Though Toxin seems to have the upper hand on Flash, Flash uses the sonic pepper spray and weakens Eddie enough that Flash can web him up, though Flash considers shooting and killing Brock. Flash then confronts Betty and reveals his identity to her, knowing that it is the only way to get her to trust him.
Although I missed the issue previous to this one as I did with Avengers Academy, I really loved this issue and it was my favorite issue of the week. Rick Remender and Cullen Bunn co-write this issue but you cannot even tell, as the pace and feel of the book makes it feel as if one person is writing it. It doesn't hurt that Lan Medina returns to deliver so amazing artwork. Although I'm sad that this is going to be Remender's last arc on the book, seeing as Cullen is working on the book as well, it makes me happy to know that the book is going to be in good hands when Rick leaves. The only complaint I have about the book is that I really want a long term artist on the book. Though the art we've had on the book has been amazing, I do wish that there was a permanent artist on the book. Maybe when Cullen takes over we'll have one (hopefully Kev Walker or Lan Medina).
Grade: A
Alright, I'm done. I've got a full week of work ahead of me so I'm hoping that the reviews will come quicker than these ones did. Reviews should not take this long to do and I apologize for that. I also apologize to say that my stories are taking longer to write than I imagined so it may be a while before I start posting those, but they will start arriving in the near future.
Thanks for reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment