With the overflowing amount of cross over events from various comic companies flooding the shelves, the people have cried out for help in keeping up with the many-issued madness! Well, that call has been answered by two guys who have answered a call or two in their lives! Infinite Man and Aron Fist are here to save your sanity, and hopefully save you from picking up that really crappy tie-in book that has absolutely NO REASON to exist! So sit back and check us out as we give you SCARED S#!@LESS: THE FEAR ITSELF EDITION, on just about everything pertaining to this event, while we also try to figure out what the hell everyone is so afraid of!
Thunderbolts #159
Writers: Jeff Parker, Frank Tieri, & Others
Artists: Declan Shalvey, Matthew Southworth, & Others
Cover: Kev Walker & Frank Martin
This issue is a collection of short stories, and while the first one written by Jeff Parker deals with the events from the last few issues that lead into Fear Itself, the others are merely tie-ins to those. I don’t really see the relevance of having an issue that’s filled with tie-ins to a book that’s already a tie-in other than a reason to jack up the price. The primary story continues to showcase the teams attempting to round up as many escaped prisoners. The B team has found themselves with a decision to make that will determine their future role. With the exception of “The Ghost and Mr. Walker,” the other stories aren’t as fun to read. They just felt like they were previews to other stories that may happen later on. Neither of them showcased anything spectacular, and the dialog in Tieri’s story was laughable when it came to the black inmates considering the slang was about twenty years too late. The only “big” moment to happen is that Crossbones is free. I’m sure the masses are doing cartwheels now, but I’m sure his escape could have been chronicled in a better issue of Thunderbolts. 2/5 – IS
Iron Man 2.0 #6
Writer: Nick Spencer
Artists: Ariel Olivetti, Carmine Di Giandomenico, & Matt Wilson
Cover: Salvador Larocca & Frank D’Armata
We’ve got Commander Steve Rogers, Iron Fist, The Immortal Weapons, hammer wielders, even the famous Monkey King, Sun Wukong, in this action packed issue. Where is Iron Man 2.0 aka War Machine in this issue, you ask? Oh, he’s been reduced to sidekick status as this issue (just like the last couple) has very little to do with the title character. The best parts of the issue were Olivetti’s artwork and the cliff hanger at the end, even if it has nothing to do with the title character. Spencer does a fine job of working that into the story and is the only thing I’m looking forward to in the next issue. I’m actually thinking that this team-up of characters could have worked a lot better if it wasn’t for Spencer having to tie it into Fear Itself. Not knocking the man’s skill as a writer, but it just seems like this is all forced and I’d rather get back to the Palmer Addley situation ASAP. THAT was a story arc worth reading and it’s a shame we had to break from that to make way for…this. Since the fans got screwed out of the Immortal Iron Fist title, this is the closest we’ve come to seeing him with the Immortal Weapons in a while. So that is a plus, however, this issue has devolved into a set up for the Fear Itself: Sun Wukong mini-series that will be coming out soon. Notice how I’ve barely mentioned War Machine? Yeah, exactly. Yes folks, we will be seeing more of the Monkey King in his own Fear Itself mini. Someone wake me when War Machine is back in his own title, please. 1.5/5 – IS
Secret Avengers #14
Writer: Nick Spencer
Artist: Scot Eaton
Cover: Adi Granov
Move along, folks. There’s nothing to see here. This one isn’t for the fans of Fear Itself. It is for the Valkyrie fans. All three of you. It is probably 90% Valkyrie origin, and 10% Fear Itself related as Nick Spencer found a sliver of the event to anchor to, to make this issue relevant. Valkyrie lost the man she loved in a battle. An armed forces woman lost her armed forces boyfriend in a battle with Sin’s army. It was a Mister Fantastic type of stretch and it wasn’t necessary. Unless you’re a Valkyrie fan. But the art was good. 2/5 -AW
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Infinite Speech
infinitespeech@comicattack.net
Aron White
aron@comicattack.net
Wow. Not one star out of the bunch.
Hey, maybe the black inmates were using 20 year-old slang because they had been inmates for 20 years? And when they get out, they are gonna put on their KangaROOS and “Where’s the Beef?” t-shirts.
I actually tried to justify it like the guys had been in for years but the Raft isn’t that old.