This week’s edition. Haven’t finished all my stuff for this week yet…
But I have. Good week for me…
Secret War: My pick of the week. We kind of get a change of gears this ish, as the whole Latverian invasion is not even shown. Heck it’s not even remembered by most. At first I though I’d missed an issue, but then realized that I’d have had to gone 6 months without an new issue and that didn’t happen. I really love Bendis’ Spider-Man and think he does a good job of writing Ultimate teen Spidey differently than grownup 616 Spidey.
At the end of the book, we get art previews for The Pulse. Does anyone but me think that Nick Fury on the cover of issue 7 looks exactly like Treat Williams???
She-Hulk: I love this book but this mini-arc has annoyed me for the mere fact that Shulkie wouldn’t stand a chance against the Champion of the Universe. It just wouldn’t happen. Exponential strength or not. And I’m envious of Pip the Troll.
MK Spider-Man: Get Millar away from my Spider-Man. He’s NOT that careless with his ID. I am glad to see that he’s trying to do something different with Venom (and staying with current continuity) but it looks like if this sticks, it’s just going to be more of the same, without the reasoning for Spidey-hatred.
Ultimate X-Men: I don’t know much about Fenris and the Von Strucker twins in Marvel 616, but I kind of like them here. They could create their own little mutant army pretty soon. And is Professor X hitting on Jean? Did he get their minds mixed up? He suddenly thought one of his own discoveries was Jean’s What’s going on there?
Ultimate Nightmare: Appropriate title, since it is putting me to sleep. Has anything happened in three issues? The Ults and X-Men have both stumbled across their own mutates in the depths of Tuskunga and beaten them. Ok. Yeah. And? I really hope there’s a huge payoff coming up.
I got this one as well. Loved the Howard the Duck cameo on the cover there.
I’ll give them the exponential strength thing, if only because they thought to set it up in advance. I really like this book - but I have to take away a point for the art - which makes Gladiator all but unrecognizable - and another point for Adam Warlock not having figured out that the Infinity Gem counted as a foreign object. I thought of that last issue. Adam Warlock’s supposed to be smart.
Another fun read was JSA this week. Wrapping up the mixed-up Hourman plotline - to the detriment of one of the more interesting former-JSA members around. Sigh. Makes me sad.
Ult. Nightmare: Is that Juggernaut?!? I’m not sure if he’s been introduced to the Ult. Universe, since I don’t read Ult. X-Men.
War Games: It’s amazing how coherent and seamless a story this is considering that it’s being told across, what?, 6 titles? Scarecrow’s comment was fantastic.
JLA Elite: I need some sort of flow-chart for this damned book. And man is the art not good.
I don’t think Juggy has been introduced yet. I had that same thought, but I dismissed the idea. Still, maybe the incident was caused by the Ruby of Cytorrak and Cain Marko got caught up in it. Then again, maybe not. Nightmare is supposed to use all the Russian marvels we’ve seen in the 616 universe so maybe he raltes to one of them. Titanium Man?
Yes the She-Hulk art is very hit or miss. He makes Jen as cute as a bug, but it seems he’s never looked at any reference material when it comes to other characters. Besides the afore mentioned Gladiator, Champion looks like he just stepped out of a trailer park with that hairy beer gut. Even Silver Surfer was unrecognizable at first. And Beta Ray Bill should look more like a warrior and less like a horse. I’d love to see Cho or Dodson take a crack at the book. If we’re gonna have cheesecake, lets go all out.
Titans/Legion special - Totally predictable way to end the post-boot Legion, but a few decent moments - the “L” shape that the chain of Legionnaires made when they faded out, the comments about the shape of (old) Legion HQ vs the shape of Titans HQ. Brainiac 5 calling Bart “Koko” once or even twice might have been funny, but the joke was repeated too often.
I’m willing to give the new Legion a shot…I like the fact that Waid and Kiston are getting back to the concept of the Legion being a kids’ club.
JSA # 66 - Excellent. I totally didn’t expect the twist ending re: Hourman, and it looks like Geoff Johns is getting ready to apply his continuity-healer’s touch to Rip Hunter. Awesome!
That John Byrne Elseworlds—I figured "Hey, it’s an Elseworlds, so whatever he does to contiuity won’t matter, and Byrne can be funny–check out his old ROG-2000 stuff. Wot th’ hell.’
Blah. It was…keep in mind, that I’m not the model of a sensitive new-age guy when I say this…but it was kinda…well…offensive. Britian is so corrupt that even Superman can’t fix it and he has to move to America???.
Plus, I kept turning the stereotypes around and saying "Y’know…what if this had been Captain Britan starting in America and they did the same sort of unfunny, broad-brushstroke dumb stereotype humor aimed at us? You know, the “All Americans are fat, stupid, brash, unsophisticated cowboys…etc” thing. I’d be pissed.
I believe that the co-writer of this was a Brit, so maybe this is some sort of weird, self-deprecating Brit humour that I’m just not getting. If a Brit Doper reads this , lemme know what you think.
Um…plus it just wasn’t funny. I smiled at one gag (the “Ma Kent”/Heat vision) one. But otherwise it was just kinda trying too hard.
Didn’t John Cleese co-write it? I wasn’t planning on buying it anyway, because hardcover, but it’s too bad that it sucks.
So, I also got Fables this week, and for those who’re keeping track, Bigby and Snow’s children are born. The Fabletown election is decided. Also, Powers. Ends with a most unusual cliffhanger that - in retrospect - I suppose I should’ve seen coming 15 issues ago, but I didn’t, which is a testament to how engaging Bendis’s little world is.
Starjammers - Hepzibah! Yay! Her speech impediment isn’t as cute these days… And they mentioned Corsair and the Shi’ar - maybe this is the Marvy Marvel universe?
Just to answer a question posed in here, and to correct Max(cause it’s fun), Juggie has been introduced, and was in the Return to Weapon X storyline in Ultimate X-Men.
Except now he’s a teenage mutant.
And he doesn’t wear the big costume. More like the helmet with a tank top.
616?
The mainstream Marvel Universe, that we’ve seen pretty much since 1961. In a Captain Britain story in the '80s, Alan Moore revealed that there were many parallel universes, all designated by numbers, and “our” Marvel Universe is the 616. This also distinguishes it from the separate Ultimate universe. Some people claim that the designation “616” comes from June 1961 (61/6), the cover date on the first Marvel Comic, Fantastic Four #1.
Got Justice League Elite #4 - Ehhh… seems okay, but I’ll drop it soon.
Action #820 - Well, I’ve always liked the Silver Banshee as a Superman villain…
Ultra #3 - And the Sex in the City comparison continues. Fairly entertaining bit at the beginning though, with a prospective superhero interviewing for a job.
Ex Machina #5 - And they wrap the first story arc - feels like a whimper, not a bang, but it’s still very intriguing. I think I’m here for the long haul.
So, does anyone use this except for Alan Moore and too-cool-for-school kids on the internet?
Heh. Thank you. I was just thinking, “Isn’t this the kind of thing that DC had to totally destroy their multiverse to fix?”