Two Weeks Reviews - Spoilers Abound

Below lay spoilers to one of the biggest stories of the past few years, Amazing Spider-Man #698.  If you have avoided spoilers so far and have not read the issue, please click away from this page.  I don't want to ruin the experience of reading such a monumental issue like people have done to others.  Thankfully, I powered down the Internet and ignored Tweets.  The only other time I had done something like this was before Ultimate Spider-Man #160 came out, which was the issue where Ultimate Peter Parker died.  Does Amazing Spider-Man #698 spell the same fate for 616 Peter? Read on to find out.

However, though Amazing Spider-Man is the most noteworthy issue, it isn't the only issue to come out.  So, because of that, I'm putting the Amazing review at the very end, so you don't have to read it right off the get go.

Captain America #1

This was the first issue of Captain America that I've ever gotten.  I was initially unsure if I was going to get this series but I decided to try it anyways.  Let's just say that I might be on board with this series now.  I've always liked Captain America, but I've never had the urge to pick up an issue until now. When it was announced that Rick Remender and John Romita, Jr. were going to be on the book, I decided to try it out.  It was a very good first issue, and I'm thinking that I'll be back at least for the first arc.  I really enjoyed the short but sweet moments between Steve and Sharon as well as the moment in the beginning of the book, with the Rodgers family.  While some people didn't like JR Jr.'s art in this issue, I enjoyed it.  John Romita, Jr., has always been a personal favorite of mine, so whenever he gets announced on a project or book, 9 times out of 10 I'll be picking it up. While I don't know much about the villain of the book so far, I am intrigued by him and the storyline that Remender is laying down, and I'm planning on pulling at least the first couple of issues now.

Grade: A-

Captain Marvel #7

Dexter Soy returns on art duties while the book gains a co-writer for this arc.  Coming off her adventures in space and in time, Carol decides to take on an underwater adventure.  And that allows her to beat up some sharks, without even using shark repellent.  For every good see adventure, one needs a skipper, and Carol's skipper for this adventure would be Monica Rambeau, the ex Captain Marvel. However, it wouldn't be a sea adventure without some kind of monster and, in this case, it is a giant robot made out of debris.  This was a pretty good issue, as Dexter Soy's art is really growing on me.  I'm thrilled to hear that he, along with personal favorite writer Christos Gage, will be doing the Age of Ultron issue of Superior Spider-Man.  Writing wise, I love the banter between Carol and Monica.  Kelly Sue and guest writer Christopher Sebela nail the conversation the two friends had as well as their conversation between Frank Gianelli. Though a little light on action, this was still a fun issue.

Grade: A

Daredevil #20

Another great issue from Mark Waid and Chris Samnee.  This issue gives us the origin of Coyote, showing his motives and some of the jobs he has pulled.  However, while Coyote gives DD's head the spiel, his body goes on an exploration, finding the device that is keeping his head and body separated.  We have a creepy scene where we see all the heads that Coyote has kept over the years, and we get to see him feed them.  We get a little bit of a view of what Kirsten is up to, but not much.  The big reveal of this issue is that Coyote isn't real Spot, I think.  We'll have to see next issue what is really going on with that whole situation.  Like I said earlier, this was another great issue of Mark Waid's run.  If you would have asked me two, three years ago if I could see myself enjoying Daredevil, I would say no.  The movie left a bad taste in my mouth and I sort of soured on the character.  However, what Mark Waid and his merry band of artists have done on the book is just marvelous.  I'm planning a DD love post somewhere down the line, so keep an eye out for that.

Grade: A

Deadpool #2

Deadpool versus more undead Presidents, round two.  This time, the Merc with the Mouth goes up against Teddy Roosevelt while starting his weird team up with the ghost of Ben Franklin.  This was another funny issue that was, yet again, drawn beautifully by Tony Moore.  The full page panel of Deadpool being skewered by the elephant tusk was just plain gruesome.  Then, of course, you have Deadpool electrocuting an elephant, setting it on fire and killing it in the process of killing Teddy again. The team of Brian, Gerry, and Tony are great for the book, as they cause the book to have equal levels of humor and epicness.

Grade: A-

Indestructible Hulk #1

Of all the first wave books that were announced when Marvel NOW! was revealed, this was the one that piqued my interest the most.  Marvel did one of the smartest things ever: they put Eisner winning Daredevil scribe Mark Waid together with superstar artist Leinil Yu.  That team could do a Groot book and it would be a best seller.  Thankfully, Marvel put them on Hulk, a character that had gotten a fresh breath of air under Jason Aaron, but another breath was needed.  These two pulled it off.  We have Bruce Banner, who is working with the Hulk. Sounds weird, right? Well, it basically equals down to the Hulk and Bruce share a mind and work together.  Banner seems to know what he is doing, enough to offer his service to Maria Hill, agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Banner is upset that he isn't getting respect for being one of Marvel's geniuses.  That causes Bruce to blackmail Maria, and he offers the Hulk's service for his liberties.  We then get some beautiful Yu pages showing the Hulk doing what he does best: SMASH! One of the best first issues of the Marvel NOW! era.  If Mark Waid continues his success from Daredevil here on Indestructible Hulk, then we'll all be in for a treat.

Grade: A

Justice League #14

Picking up right where last issue left off, we see the League trying to defeat a Cheetah infected Superman.  For the remainder of the issue, the League splits up, with half dealing with the Cheetah while the others try to cure Superman from the infection.  The story also gives us the New 52 origin of the Cheetah, which is not the same as what it was in the old DCU.  There are three great scenes in this issue that I personally just love. The first one is Aquaman holding the Cheetah underwater with piranhas surrounding them.  The next scene was the one where Clark and Diana go to Smallville, eating at a diner and visiting the Kent house.  The final scene that I loved was the last one, where Batman is being all creepy and spying on the new couple making out.  The Shazam backup finally starts to pick up too, as Black Adam makes his way to the city while Billy buys clothes and looks to be getting food. We end the issue with the introduction of Sloth, one of the Seven Deadly Sins.  Overall, a good issue.  The main story actually felt really short; likewise, the Shazam backup seemed to be longer than it usually does.  The best part of the issue was definitely the Superman/Wonder Woman moments at the end of the main feature.  Geoff Johns writes the scene pretty well, and the backup was written well as well.  The art on this issue was phenomenal, with both Tony Daniel and Gary Frank doing great jobs on their segments.

Grade: B+

Ultimate Spider-Man #17

In what I believe to be the last tie in issue to the "Divided We Fall"/"United We Stand" event, Miles finds himself in his first battle with the Ultimates, where Spider-Woman is his chaperon, much to her chagrin.  Overall, this was a so-so issue.  It was still good, but it wasn't anything special.  Maybe having the knowledge that "Venom Wars" is coming up distilled my enjoyment of this arc, or maybe it was having different artists on the issues. I'm not entirely sure.  I do like the set up for the next issue, though; we end the book with Miles, out of web fluid, stranded in Wyoming.  However, the cover and solicitations for this issue and next are kind of misleading.  The solicitation for this issue mentioned the secret connection between Miles and Jessica, but it barely gets a mention in this issue.  And the cover for the next issue, which can be seen here, doesn't show Miles in Wyoming.  The art by Pepe Larraz was okay, though not as good as Marquez or Pichelli.  Thankfully, Marquez is back next issue and then, with "Venom Wars", Sara Pichelli is finally back.

Grade: B

Before I get into big time spoiler details, I want to thank you for reading my reviews.  Check out the next post for this weeks reviews.  As it is nearing finals times, I'm not getting to write as much as I would like, so busting these review posts, seeing as they were massive ones, was extremely difficult. I'm hoping to have another post out soon, discussing Superior Spider-Man, but I am, as of now, unsure when it will see the light of day. But, again, thanks again for reading!

Alright, here we go.

For the last time, SPOILERS LIE AHEAD

Do not read on if you have not read Amazing Spider-Man #698

Amazing Spider-Man #698

The issue starts out with the medical squad on the Raft rushing to Doc Ock's room, as he begun to say two words: Peter Parker. Speaking of good ol' Petey, we see him swinging around and stopping crime, exclaiming how awesome it is to be Spider-Man.  He seems to be a little more violent and blows off the police when they ask him to come downtown to do paperwork.  After a pit stop at his place to change into some fancy clothes, Peter heads to Horizon, where he and Max have a meeting about needing an invention, as the quarter is coming to a close.  Peter is confident, claiming that he'll put all his other inventions to shame.  After making some web fluid, Peter heads over to MJ's, where he meets up with MJ and basically tells her that he wants to start dating again.  MJ, a little shocked over the brashness Peter is showing, tells him that they must go visit Aunt May, who is still recovering from the Alpha accident.  However, when she leaves to get her jacket, Peter is seen checking out some other ladies.  While with Aunt May, Peter tries to initial talks with MJ again, but is interrupted by his Avengers card going off.  He attempts to leave, but Jay freaks out on him again.  However, MJ has his back and, while Jay is still pissed, May is fine with it, as she realizes that Peter and MJ may be getting back together.  At the Raft, Captain America tells Spider-Man that Doc Ock is asking for Peter Parker.  Peter unmasks, telling Ock that he is Peter.  That is when the bombshell is dropped: Peter Parker isn't really Peter; it's Doc Ock in Peter's body with all his memories.  While Doc is in Peter's body, Peter is in Doc Ock's dying body.  Doc Ock gloats, saying that he will never give up his secret and walks out as Peter/Otto flatlines.  Doctors try to resuscitate him while Otto/Spider-Man walks away with the Avengers none the wiser.

I, uh, I'm going to come out and say it. I hate what Dan Slott did. Yet, at the same time, I absolutely love it.  I knew that something was up with Peter throughout the issue, and I had no clue what it was until I finished the issue, my mouth gaping.  After rereading the issue, I finally got what happened and I'm unsure on how I feel about it.  I'm game for having Doc Ock as Spider-Man, though I'm not sure on how long I will enjoy it. This is the beginning of a three part story, though, so we'll have to see how Dan continues the story.  Plus, the preview art for issue #700 shows that Peter is still around and fighting, though a little differently than I expected.  I trust Dan Slott, as he has given us a great run on Spider-Man so far.  However, I'm not going to lie when I say that I hated this issue the first couple of times I read it after the "holy sh!t" reading the first time.  After the third or fourth time, though, I realized how monumental this issue is going to be.  The art by Richard Elson was very good, especially his dying Doc Ock/Peter Parker.  I may actually check out the first issue of Morbius: The Living Vampire because of his art.  This issue made me very nervous for Peter.  I've never been as nervous for a character before, so this is an odd feeling.  The preview art for the final two issues of Amazing show that Peter is not done fighting yet, but I'm not feeling too sure if he is going to make it out unharmed/alive.

Grade: A

Blogger's Back, Tell a Friend

And just like that, I'm back. I've been gone for too long (since the end of the school year in June) but now that school's back, I should have a lot more free time will be able to blog whenever I can, schoolwork provided.  To kick things off, I'm going to do a massive comic wrap up/ review.  At the end of this massive post will be news on my new project I will be tackling.

The Amazing Spider-Man: Ends of the Earth

The spring/summer "event" in the pages of Spider-Man was a big difference from last year's event, Spider Island.  Not only was EotE more confined (it only had two tie in books, a one-shot and the epilogue in Avenging Spider-Man), but it pitted Spidey up against a more global and dangerous threat, this time the devious Doc Ock.  I kept on reading that people didn't enjoy this as much as they did Spider Island, but I really couldn't see that.  Yes, it is true that out of the two, I enjoyed Spider Island a little more, but I didn't think it was as big a gap between the two as others did.  I enjoyed the high stakes in this arc, especially when it was Spidey himself who knew that Ock was lying.  Also, I really liked the new suit developed for the story, designed by Stefano Caselli. Sadly, this was Stefano's last arc on Amazing, as he has since been called up to work on Avengers Assemble, which is fully deserved, as he is an amazing talent.  Thankfully, Amazing still has Humberto Ramos and Giuseppe Camuncoli, with a third artist more than likely being brought on after #700 (PLEASE, let it be Ryan Stegman).  Story-wise, I believe that it was a good story. I had a few nitpickings about it, but besides those I really enjoyed the story.

Grade: A-

The Amazing Spider-Man: No Turning Back

The story immediately following Ends of the Earth and also the tie in to the new Spider-Man movie, this arc was a very dark one.  I definitely enjoyed the first issue, as it gave us present time along with giving us flashbacks to hours before, eventually causing the two stories to meet up.  I loved the idea to put the Lizard in control of Conners' body, as it was a fresh take on the old story of Conners in the Lizard's body.  I do wish that Morbius had a little bit of a larger role besides secondary villain in the arc, but that isn't too much of a big deal.  I also enjoyed the scenes with the Lizard and Uatu.  It was interesting seeing the Lizard finally starting remorse for his killings as he saw Billy and eventually others that he has killed, including Conners himself.  The twist at the end, having Conners mind back but in the Lizard's body, was also an interesting move, especially seeing as it has been hinted that we will see the Lizard again soon.  Oh, and then there was the Hobgoblin reveal at the end of the issue, something that took me by surprise yet at the same time I kinda expected something like that occuring.  The art by Giuseppe Camuncoli was breath taking, as I am really warming up to his artwork.  I cannot wait for the Danger Zone arc, his next work on the title.

Grade: B+

The Amazing Spider-Man: 50th Anniversary Special

The on going arc right now, dealing with Spidey's new sidekick Alpha, got kicked off with the special 50th anniversary issue.  My, oh my, was it a good issue, as Humberto Ramos returned to the book for the first time since the Ends of the Earth chapters he did.  The main story dealt with a kid, Andy Maguire, getting powers in an accident not unlike Mr. Parker's.  After coming to terms with the fact that he caused them, Spidey, after consulting with some of Marvel's resident geniuses, decides to be a mentor to the snot noised brat.  This arc has yet to be concluded, so I can't give my full opinion on it yet, but I am loving it so far.  There were three separate stories in issue #692, and all of them were astounding.  However, my favorite one might just be the Fialkov and Plati "Just Right" story, as it shows just how relatable Peter Parker really is. I can't wait to see how this whole Alpha situation sorts out. Knowing the Parker luck, no matter what happens, it's going to lead to something worse for Peter.

Grade: A (so far)

Ultimate Spider-Man

The adventures of Miles Morales continue and they are getting really good.  The young hero has been through a lot in his short time as Spider-Man, as his Uncle Aaron, the Prowler, died during one of their fights, making Miles feel guilty about it.  Then, right after that, the world goes crazy.  Miles finally gets his web shooters and has some pretty funny experiences with them so far.  Not only that, but Miles asks to join the Ultimates.  Also, somewhere in there, Spider-Men occurs (though no one really knows where) and that was incredible, especially the interaction between Peter and Miles (duh) and Peter and Gwen. David Marquez is one hell of an artist.  He draws an amazing Spider-Man, but my favorite character that he draws is MJ. I love the way that she looks now and I definitely want to see more of her. The book that got me into comics years ago continues to impress and I'm really excited to see where the series goes from here, especially seeing that the return of Sara Pichelli and Venom are on the horizon.

Grade: A

Venom: The Savage Six

Rick Remender's last story on the title wraps up almost all the loose ends set in motion during his run.  Not only does he wrap them up nicely, but he also passes the torch to new writer Cullen Bunn.  Personally, I really enjoyed Flash's version of the Sinister Six, even though some of the villains used had more of a connection to Remender than to Flash himself.  Though I wished they would have done more with the new Toxin, I do see him coming back down the line. I was introduced to the villain Megatak and I really liked him, as he was probably my favorite villain in the arc.  Also, I liked in the lead up to the arc that it was hinted at a possible relationship between Flash and Valkyrie.  I really enjoyed the art by Kev Walker and Lan Medina, especially with the detail for the new Toxin.  There were only two things that I didn't like. One of them would be Flash's behavior towards the Human Fly. Yes, he had to get info out of him, but did it really mean ripping off his wings, right in front of his (Flash's) mom?  I just felt that that scene was a little unnecessary. The other scene I didn't really like was the reveal of who Crime Master was.  I understand why it had to be him, but I just felt like it was too expected. However, even with those two little problems, I thoroughly enjoyed this arc and it was a great send of for Rick Remender.

Grade: B+

Captain Marvel

The moment that this title was announced, I knew that I was going to love it. Boy, did I call that one correctly.  I've always been a fan of Miss Marvel, though I never got any issues of her solo run. I was first introduced to her in the pages of New Avengers and really discovered my love for her during the Spider-Man: Siege one-shot.  So, once I heard about this new title, I knew I had to get it. Written by Kelly Sue Deconnick, Captain Marvel is a great book about a great female lead.  I will admit, I tend to stay away from female-led books because they tend to only last a couple of arcs before being cancelled.  However, Captain Marvel is going to be one of those exceptions.  Not only is the book written superbly, but the art by new artist Dexter Soy is astounding.  I cannot be happier for trying out this book and I plan on following it for the long run.

Grade: A

Daredevil

Arguably the best book on the stands right now, Daredevil is the book that every seems to be loving, for good reasons.  Written by Mark Waid, this title has risen from the ashes that was Shadowland, which dismantled Daredevil and caused him to leave New York.  Not only has the title been written on an A+ level, but the book has been drawn by the best in the business. Initially, the book had personal favorite's Paolo Rivera and Marcos Martin.  Soon after, both artists would leave the book but in return, the new main artist on the book is Chris Samnee.  When Chris was announced as the new ongoing artist, I was a little weary because I wasn't a huge fan of his based off his work on Ultimate Spider-Man. But he has quickly sky-rocketed towards the top of my favorite artist list.  Story-wise, I'm loving what Mark is doing with the book. He is making Matt seem like he's losing his mind, yet the reader knows that someone is behind it.  Though I'm not the biggest fan of the schism between Matt and Foggy, I'm loving this title so much.

Grade: A+

Batman: The Night of Owls

The finale of the year long Owl's arc in Batman, this arc was great.  Team Batman has been knocking this book out of the park.  This was the first DC book I've bought and it was like a gateway drug for me. I now buy Batman, Justice League, and will start buying Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Superman.  However, this post is about Batman. Dealing with a secret society of killers, Bats takes on the Court of Owls head on, taking them on not only in the Bat Cave, but also hunting them down in their own homes. Bats then faces off against Owlman, who turns out to be Lincoln March, claiming to be Bruce's younger brother who was given up to adoption when he was born.  Though Bruce denies it in the end, the initial shock of that claim was strong enough to make the reader think, realizing that this was the reason March and Bruce were drawn very similarly. Team Batman killed this arc and I believe they are the reason why I have rediscovered my love for Batman. I literally cannot wait for the Joker's return in "Death of the Family". I have not felt this excited for an arc of any comic more than I have this one. And I know that Team Batman will not disappoint.

Grade: A

Justice League: The Villain's Journey

Jim Lee returns to Justice League for possibly the last time in the arc "The Villain's Journey".  In an odd twist of fate, the author who wrote the book about them, Graves, is terminally ill and decides to take means into his own hands, going and getting some kind of twisted powers. In the beginning, the League are split up, with Green Lantern, Flash, and Wonder Woman taking on Weapons Master in Keystone City while Batman, Superman, and Cyborg take on the Key and a riot in Arkham Asylum. Both villains admit to be helping Graves, surprising the League. After regrouping and realizing that other villains are being involved, Graves arrives and attacks the League.  Graves reveals that he kidnapped Steve, which sets Wonder Woman off. Graves uses his powers to hurt them, using their loved ones for the pain. Eventually, Wonder Woman goes to blows with Green Lantern and, by extent, Superman. The League eventually discover where Graves got his powers and go there to stop him. Eventually, with the help of a still alive Steve, the League defeat Graves, who is sent to Belle Reeve. Back in Watchtower, Green Lantern quits the League with Flash possibly following, Aquaman challenges Batman for the role of leader of the League, and, elsewhere, Superman and Wonder Woman make out. Overall, I really enjoyed this arc, as it introduced a new villain to the Justice League's rogue gallery.  I really enjoyed Jim Lee's art on this arc and I'm really going to miss him on this title, though I am hoping that the rumors of him and Scott Snyder on a Superman title are true.  The only thing that I wasn't so hot for was the hookup between Supes and Wonder Woman. Though I have no problem with them dating, I will always be a Batman/Wonder Woman shipper, but that's just me being me. Overall, this was a really fun arc and I cannot wait for the next year in Justice League stories.

Grade: A-

The obvious missing entry on this review post is Avengers Vs. X-Men. The reason behind this is because I'm going to review the entire series when the finale comes out next month (plus it gives me a chance to reread them again).  Now, I am happy to talk about my next project that I'm going to do.  I am going to be tackling the 30 Days Comic Book Challenge, right here on the Random Blog as well as on the Random Blog twitter feed. For most of the days, I will be writing a blog post on the subject, though some days, it will just be a Twitter update, as I cannot write much about the topic or it is just a picture. This is going to be an interesting little project for me, as it will get me blogging more. During the challenge, I will be doing reviews, with more TV shows being brought into the mix.  Also, there is a chance that I will be writing Avenger here. What is Avenger, you might ask? Well, it is a potential comic book that I am plotting. Though it is in a very early stage (just the plots), I will possibly be posting the stories here, having the breaks where the issues would end. Avenger is something that I would love to get published one day, but I'm not sure if I ever will get the chance to have that happen, which is why I want to maybe post it here.

Alright, thanks for reading this massive blog post.  I'm going to have a review post on Wednesday and then, a day or two later, the Challenge begins. Comment or leave a Tweet if you like. I don't care either way.

Have a nice day!

More Late Reviews

This was a big week this week for Avengers vs. X-Men.  Three of the five books I got this week dealt with Marvel's summer event and they were pretty good. However, the overall quality of this week's pull was meh. I'm sorry that it took me so long to get these reviews out. I've started working again and it really affected how much I was able to write in a day.

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!