The people have cried out for help in keeping up with the many-issued madness of comic company event books! 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 (looking at you, Original Sins)! So sit back and check us out, and let us know what you think!
Avengers #32
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Leinil Francis Yu
Avengers started out as a legitimate tie-in to Original Sin as Captain America remembered having his mind wiped by The Illuminati. However, when he went to confront Tony, the Time Gem appeared and transported him with several Avengers further and further into the future. Making this seem very far away as an Original Sin tie-in as the teams jumps in time. Not to say that these haven’t been entertaining (though Aron Fist will disagree), it just seems as if the event that spawned this story arc was left 50,000 years in the past. With Cap being the last Avenger left, Hickman’s sci-fi adventure raises quite a few questions along the way. The big one being about the “Ultron Singularity.” There’s also the fact that he has Cap facing this threat alone, and it’s quite evident that he is way out of his league here, but that’s always been one of the great things about Cap. He finds a way when there doesn’t seem to be one.
Yu’s artwork is still great to look at here, and Sunny Gho gives it the pop it needs. The scenes where Cap is being probed with the jagged spikes are visceral and striking. He also conveys Cap’s “never say die” attitude during the action sequence, which reminds us why Steve is the legend that he is.
As far as tie-ins go, I’m still scratching my head, but hoping that Hickman ties it all together in the end. Other than that, the past few issues of Avengers have been one hell of a ride! – IM
Rating: 4/5
Hulk vs. Iron Man #3
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Mark Bagely & Andrew Hennessy
I can’t get enough of Hulk beating the crap out of Iron Man. I love Hulk (when he isn’t in space, or something weird like that), and I hate Iron Man (all the time. Well, not in the movies. Bravo, Robert Downey Jr.!), so, naturally, this series is for me. Iron Man deserves to get the crap beat out of him (this should be a monthly thing; I would subscribe to a “Hulk Beats the Crap Out of Iron Man” ongoing) by the Hulk. Especially here. Also, it looks like the reasons for beating the crap out of Iron Man are going to get even juicier for the finale! I can’t wait!
This is a truly entertaining tie-in (all Hulk-beating-the-crap-out-of-
Rating: 4.5/5
Mark Waid continues to establish this title as a true tie-in to the event, and it’s worth it for that alone. There’s a true “sin” that was exposed, and the fact that Tony may be directly responsible for what happened to Bruce isn’t something you can overlook. Waid expands on the events of the past while giving us quite a fight in the present as Tony throws down with a Hulk that has the intelligence of Banner again thanks to Extremis.
What has also stood out is the strong art from Bagely as he makes sure you get a nice visual story to go along with what Waid is doing. His Hulk is huge and imposing, but not so large he distracts from what else is going on in the panel. Hennessy and Keith put it over the top with great inks and colors to complete the package.
I had low expectations about this one going into the event, and it always feels good when a creative team can prove you wrong and change your mind for the better! – IM
Rating: 4/5
Uncanny X-Men #24
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Kris Anka
After the mess that was the X-Men’s introduction to Original Sin last issue, this one does a better job at entertaining. As it’s made very clear that Cyclops and others need to be present for the reading of Professor X’s Will, it’s time to go and bring him back to the Jean Grey School. This is where the issue actually turns things around as Bendis clearly displays the angst between the two factions of X-Men. From Logan’s admiration towards Scott about hiding in the one place he wouldn’t look, to the reveal about the Professor’s status at the end, these moments made the issue worth reading. Anka’s art does the job of moving the story as it’s a pretty clean and simple style all the way through. This fits well with the slower pace of the story here and the amount of subtle emotion needed to pull it off.
I’m still unsure of how this fits into Original Sin, and certain things don’t make sense. Like She-Hulk not knowing that Scott killed Charles. Wasn’t she part of the Avengers vs. X-Men event? Did she happen to have a court case on the day of the murder and had to excuse herself from the battle? The only “sin” I see here is putting this title under the banner of the event. – IM
Rating: 2.5/5
Whoa! Say what?! Professor Xavier married M- Hold on a second! Were they really a thing, or are they working the movie universe into continuity? This is nuts! This’s INSANE! And how is this tied into Original Sin? I don’t care! I’m onboard for the answers coming in issue #25!
On another note, I really don’t like the art in this book. A lot of the characters lose features, including faces, not only when the view pans out, but even when the view is reasonably focused on everyone. It’s kind of annoying, but better than Greg Land. (I’m totally joking.) – AF
Rating: 4/5 (On surprise factor alone.)
That wraps it up for this installment, so let us know what you think of Original Sin so far, and for more Infinite Man & Aron Fist click here!
Aron White
aron@comicattack.net
Infinite Speech
infinitespeech@comicattack.net
