Weekly Round-Up: Marvel Universe

Spoilers for Secret Invasion: Dark Reign #1 by Brian Michael Bendis, Ms. Marvel (Vol 2) #33 by Brian Reed, The New Avengers #47 by Brian Michael Bendis, She-Hulk (Vol 2) #35 by Peter David, and She-Hulk: Cosmic Collision by Peter David.

Secret Invasion: Dark Reign #1 Ms. Marvel #33 New Avengers #47 She-Hulk #35 She-Hulk: Cosmic Collision

Secret Invasion: Dark Reign #1

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. It reminds me a lot of the Bendis I like. The one who isn’t so overworked that he’s taking fanfic he wrote back in the day out his closet, adjusting, and publishing. Or maybe he’s outsourcing to India like Jeff Koons.

In addition to setting a story arch, I really enjoyed the art in this issue. Particularly Emma’s costume and how she looks like an adult woman. Maleev also draws Namor like he would snark and mock you.

Emma Frost in Dark Reign #1

Namor is funny, and Emma is not putting up with his crap. No one is really surprised that Norman Osborn is still a criminal, have split personality issues, and making deals with the devils. The Red Hood is kind of an awesome villain, and we all want to know when Loki became a woman.

The only thing I really didn’t like was Bendis’ tribute to Joss Whedon with the morning over Kitty and her becoming Emma’s conscious or whatever. Though Maleev’s parallel art at the end of Osborn and Emma is awesome. My other nitpick is that I’m not sure what place Dr. Doom has. I guess I’ve always seen him as something of a cheesy villain.

Buy Dark Reign: Accept Change and support this blog.

Ms. Marvel (Vol 2) #33

Ms. Marvel’s current storyline continues to rock. I love that she was a super strong soldier before she got her superpowers or became literally bullet-proof. It’s also nice to take her out of fighting against supervillains or leading the Avengers. (Not that her leading them isn’t super awesome.) The only thing a little cheesy was the training/psychical therapy montage. I was waiting for the comic to play “Eye of the Tiger.” Now that would be a good reason to justify the comic price hike.

Buy Ms. Marvel – Volume 6: Ascension by Brian Reed and support this blog.

The New Avengers #47

Another recent Bendis comic to get a thumbs up from me. Now this is what I’m talking about. Both the New Avengers and the Mighty Avengers basically turned into the Secret Invasion One Shot Bendis Want to Write. While this comic does have to do with the stealing of Luke and Jessica’s baby by Skrull!Jarvis, it is actually about characters that I care about and pick up this comic to read about.

Jessica and Luke in New Avengers 47

I’ve always loved how Bendis dealt with Jessica and Luke becoming parents. They have real issues and real problems (not just the ones related to spandex and superpowers). They’re scared to make mistakes and want to always do what’s right.

By the end, you really do feel Luke’s loss (and Jessica’s).

Buy New Avengers Vol. 9: Secret Invasion, Book 2 by Brian Michael Bendis and support this blog.

She-Hulk (Vol 2) #35

Why does Peter David have to take a comic he was failing to write and then make it interesting as it gets canceled? I hope that Marvel decides to launch a Lady Liberators comic. But I doubt it, unless Bendis takes up the mantel, but he doesn’t like She-Hulk. *sticks out tongue*

The Lady Liberators and the Winter Guard both realize that in a fight — in a war — that it’s the people who matter, not the fight. Of course, it takes injured civilians to make both sides stop fighting and some clever words from She-Hulk.

Buy She-Hulk – Volume 9: Lady Liberators by Peter David and support this blog.

She-Hulk: Cosmic Collision

This story is really the fanfic I’d be writing if I were inclined to. It’s about a bunch of women teams who are gathered to fight against one entity that is going to kill all women teams. When a guy (who’s name I can’t remember) tries to save them, the entity comes through. But the Lady Liberators and the Skrulls all-female team punch through the fake reality and take on the entity.

She-Hulk: Cosmic Collision #1

So I was going to do more of a review of this issue. However, I then read a Wizard review and need to go hit someone with a book of feminism.

Like what you’re reading? Support this blog by becoming my superhero.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *