Happy Holidays and welcome back to Ramblings and Reviews! This time around I have 5 books that were awesome, so without further delay here we go.
First on the list is…Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural #3.
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Rick Remender
Artist(s): Jefte Palo & Gabriel Hardman (cover by Marko Djurdjevic)
This issue was spectacular, just like the first two issues before it. We get a glimpse into Vishanti’s tome and see PaPa Legba (a voodoo spirit who stands between dimensions) and Doctor Voodoo trying to stop Ogoun the Slayer from entering this dimension. After putting out that fire, Nightmare basically kicks the crap out of Voodoo. The new Sorcerer Supreme tries to find Strange to help him but runs into a possessed Son of Satan instead. His brother then possesses Hellstrom and the two fight both Ghost Riders (Blaze and Ketch) who have been possessed by Nightmare as well. Well, to make a long story short, the Hood shows up too and everything goes down the toilet for Doctor Voodoo. If you liked Doctor Strange or any other mystical book Marvel releases, then pick this series up. Rick Remender is doing a phenomenal job with the writing and the artwork is great too. 4/5
Next up we have…Dark Avengers #12.
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Mike Deodato
Spoilers ahead with this one- you’ve been warned! OK, so if you didn’t know by now, Loki has been manipulating Norman and by doing that, also forcing Doom’s hand as well. He’s basically the reason why Normie is going to attack Asgard but also the reason why he’s going off the deep end faster than predicted. The Sentry is a very intriguing character to me. Most of the time he’s just showing brute strength but once in a while he displays other powers too. Case in point, this issue. When last we saw him, his molecules were dispersed by the Molecule Man and he appeared to be gone from existence. But here we see that he also has the same power as Reese: to control the molecules around him. Yeah, scary huh? So by the end of this issue Norman is still naked but Molecule Man is gone and the team of Dark Avengers are left shaking in their boots about Sentry’s display of power. In the final pages we get to see Norman losing his grip thanks to Loki! The circle is complete. This book did a good job as a segue into Siege. 3.5/5
Thirdly we have…The Mighty Avengers #32
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Khoi Pham
I know this title has been slumping as far as sales go but honestly there’s a lot worse out there. This issue was good for several reasons but the most glaring was because of the Siege intro. We see Loki at his best to try and push Norman’s buttons, and boy does he ever. The Mighty Avengers start out at a ceremony in Atillan to honor Quicksilver for returning the Terrigen crystals that he actually stole. He blamed it on a Skrull impostor but his own daughter Luna knows it was him but she isn’t telling…yet. Basically Crusher Creel, a.k.a. The Absorbing Man, breaks out of prison and the Mighty Avengers and Dark Avengers both show up to stop him. Creel absorbs fragments of a Cosmic Cube and you can only imagine what happens next. All around good issue. Writing is decent and the artwork is solid as usual. 3.5/5
Realm of Kings Inhumans #2 of 5 is next on the list.
Publisher: Marvel
Writer(s): Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Artist(s): Pablo Raimondi (cover by Stejpan Sejic)
This book kind of served as a bit of a prequel to Mighty Avengers #32 being that it showed what the team was up to before they came back to Earth and had their run in with Norman’s team. Other than that, honestly this issue served no real purpose as far as the Mighty Avengers are concerned. It did however show a contingency of Kree that are willing to go to any length to get rid of The Inhumans. There was also a big shocker (well, not really) at the end in the last two pages. I won’t spoil it for you but get ready for someone to make an appearance next issue that’s been gone for a few months. All in all this book isn’t nearly as entertaining as Imperial Guard but the interior art is really good. I especially like the way Raimondi draws his characters. 3/5
Finally I present part 3 of Necrosha in X-Force #22.
Publisher: Marvel
Writer(s): Craig Kyle & Chris Yost
Artist: Clayton Crain
This issue is tied for my best of the pile this week with Doctor Voodoo. In this issue we see that somebody knocked up Rahne and her “baby” is killing her. After finding this out her new boy toy the Wolf Prince runs away but summons Hela, goddess of death and she isn’t happy about it. Meanwhile Selene is busy building her new kingdom but she needs her mystical blade to carry out her rituals. She sends Eli, Wither, Senyaka, and Blink to retrieve it from Warpath (see X-Force #10/Warpath vs. Demon Bear). When all’s said and done, the X-Men are not only fighting an entire island of Selene’s “zombies” but also her personal coven. There is a back-up story of “A Girl Called Hope” where we see Hope and Cable having a conversation about Bishop and things to come. Hope’s eyes mirror the light from a camp fire, but also shows what looks to be the Phoenix as well. Great job by Kyle and Yost with this book. Crain’s art is also impressive; sometimes it’s a little on the dark side but good nonetheless. 4/5
That’s it for now but I’m going to be back A.S.A.P. with more reviews so stay tuned! Same Bat time, same Bat channel (actually there is no set time or channel but it sounds good).
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net
I decided to pick up Doctor Voodoo in trade just so I can get it all at once! I’m really excited about Siege only because Loki probably has been the mastermind behind a LOT of what was going on after Norman brought him into the fold.
@Speech-you won’t be disappointed with Voodoo man. Remender is doing a solid job!
Of your list here I only read Dark Avengers and X-Force and thought both were great reads!
I knew Mighty couldn’t last. It is a great book, but without any of the Avengers’ All-Stars in the line-up, people are afraid to bite. Good book though.