Welcome to the third installment of this week’s reviews. This time around I have the final 5 books from my big week, so lets get right down to business!
First up is…Dark Avengers #14 (Siege).
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Mike Deodato
This was a great issue and made me want to see the Sentry more than ever. I can’t wait to see how anyone is going to stop a guy who seems unstoppable. The issue begins with Victoria Hand telling Norman that he needs to see a shrink about her growing concern that he’ll lose it and become the Green Goblin again. Ms. Hand also points out that Moonstone is systematically working her way through the team (sexually) with some unknown agenda. All of this seems pretty crazy until the sky turns black. Sentry is back from space and he seems to be more in his Void persona and it doesn’t look good. After some of Normie’s kool-aid, Sentry calms down and agrees to listen to him. We also get to see a little meeting between Norman and Bullseye about a plan to kill Lindy. 3.5/5
Next up is…Guardians of the Galaxy #23 (Realm of Kings).
Publisher: Marvel
Writer(s): Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Artist: Wes Craig (cover by Alex Garner)
Wow doesn’t even cover this issue. Not by a long shot. In this installment we learn of how The Magus and the supposed dead members of the Guardians actually survived. What happened was The Magus felt the Guardians coming just seconds before they arrived back in the present. This was enough time for him to put a plan in place; he created an illusion that made Star-Lord and the other members believe that he had been killed along with Gamora, Cosmo, Phyla, Major Victory, and Mantis. After we find out about the ruse, we see The Magus torturing the crap out of the Guardians back at the Universal Church’s hideout. Next, Star-Lord and the remaining Guardians are trying to protect the Galactic Council members that weren’t killed by Vulcan at a council meeting. The issue ends with Phyla busting loose and getting a telepathic message to Moondragon. She tells Moonie that The Magus is still alive and so are the other Guardians. Phenomenal issue!!! 5/5
Thirdly I have…Uncanny X-Men #521 (Nation X).
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Greg Land
So, we’re one issue closer to Magneto grabbing the bullet from space and bringing Kitty back…Yay. This issue was just OK, for several reasons. Scott and Emma climb a mountain to find Magneto but Emma can’t penetrate his psychic defenses so they don’t know what he’s up to. Next, we see Logan and his team fighting that same group of new bad guys since Nation X started. The fight starts to go badly for the X-folks until Fantomex shows up to lend a hand. At this point we find out who is behind the technology and a virus that is set loose on the world as well. It’s John Sublime, former executive of Weapon X and all around psychotic fiend. Fantomex and the X-Men take off after they find out about Sublime and radio Scott to tell him about it. We are left with the X-Men finally figuring out that Magneto is bringing Kitty back. 3.5/5
Next on my list is…Spider-Woman #6.
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Alex Maleev
This was a great issue and I really don’t know how it could have been better. Jessica comes face to face with the Thunderbolts and they tell her that she needs to go with them. She respectfully declines with a venom blast to their faces. She almost gets caught by Ghost but easily out-thinks him and then goes on to fool the rest of the team. None of this is hard to believe if you think about it; Jessica is a trained Agent of Hydra, S.H.I.E.L.D. and an Avenger so it isn’t really hard to imagine her out manuevering these B-listers. Lots of funny banter between her and the T-bolts, also the banter with Agent Brand about how she can get out of this mess. Jessica then gets aboard the T-bolts ship and detonates an explosive and the Thunderbolts are left wondering how they are getting home. Great stuff right there. 4/5
Lastly I bring you…The Incredible Hercules #141 (Assault on New Olympus)
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente
Artist: Rodney Buchemi (cover by Alex Ganer)
In this final issue, we saw Hercules fight to the death against Typhon. The two struggled mightily atop the Olympus Groups HQ. Herc outsmarted Typhon once he realized he couldn’t match strength with him. This left Hercules battered and broken and without the strength to stop the Continuum machine by himself. Luckily, Athena is there to destroy the machine, but she also tells Herc that he must die because Amadeus Cho is to become the new Prince of Power. It’s at this point in the book, I really get confused. We see Herc standing maybe 15 feet away from the machine when Athena destroys it. In the next panel though, we see Herc getting blasted from something. Is it Athena or from the blast of the machine exploding? Athena tells everyone when they get to the scene that Herc smashed the machine and it vaporized him. When all’s said and done though, Hercules is dead and the heroes mourn at the site of his death. The conclusion to the Agents of Atlas back-up story was also pretty good. We saw Venus take on Aphrodite and come out on top if you can believe that. That story was written by Jeff Parker and the artwork by Gabriel Hardman. 4/5
Well, that’s it for this round but I’ll be back on Tuesday with this weeks (2-24) reviews. See you next time and Make Mine Marvel!
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net
I’ll tell you who can stop Sentry: Cyclops and Emma Frost.
I’m loving this Uncanny arc. It’s a thrill a minute and the character development is spectacular. Just…where’s Iceman? : ( Oh, and Fantomex kicks ass.
I gotta give it to you Andy you called it with the Uncanny issue and I give you your props okay thats over lol
I have to pick up the GOTG ROK tie in
@Andy-Emma, I’ll give you. THat is if he already isn’t in his “void” persona. Then Emma isn’t stopping him either. Scott? Are you kidding dude? THe way Marvel has him pumped up right now he’d shrug off that optic blast and tear off Scotts head with his pinky finger. The whole arc hasn’t paid off for me yet. “Hope”fully when Cable returns and the crap hits the fan it will though.
Scott outwitted The Void.
Just sayin.
…and wow, 4 stars for Spider-Woman? Nice to see you come full circle on that title!
Yeah, Herc’s death was weird to me… I wanted to see more of a moment when he realized he wasn’t as strong as Typhon. That rarely happens and a bigger shock moment would have been cool. Plus, they advertised that he was going to die months ago…which kinda took the “oomph” out of this one.
I think Marvel should spend less on advertising and go back to shocking us more
When did Cyke take out the Void? Physically I mean. When he goes off the deep end, he isnt going to be out-manuevered by Scott.
Cyke did outsmart the Void but there is a big difference when it comes to sheer power and Cyke isn’t in Void’s league
@Andy-Yeah, Spider-Woman is really growing on me. I liked Bendis’ writing from the beginning but Maleevs’ art wasn’t hitting home. Now though, I’m really digging it. Somehow I still thought Marvel was advertising “death” but not going to deliver but he’s(Hercules) really dead…for now. lol