All New X-Men #8 Review

This series has been a massive win for me so far. As some of you guys know I missed the first few issues initially before all the good press made it just too good for me to ignore; and I can honestly say that there has not been one bad issue in this run thus far. This issue teased the young X-Men meeting the present day Avengers; so you can imagine my excitement going in to reading it. My excitement ended up to be totally warranted too.

Three quarters of this issue was made up of past Angel and current day Angel battling Hydra as they were attempting to burn the Avengers tower down to the ground; all while the Avengers were nowhere to be seen.  I enjoyed this part of the issue; especially the way the two Warren's were with each other. Warren, for me anyway, is a member of the X-Men that I have never been overly excited about. However in this issue I really liked the dialogue coming from both versions of the character; which just shows how well written this series really is.

Next up in this issue was the confrontation between the Avengers and these young X-Men. To be honest it was not what I was expecting as I was expecting everything to be slightly more heated. However, as mentioned in the above paragraph, this book is just so well written; which means I really don't mind if things don't get too heated.
Put it this way, this scene consisted of a conversation between Hank and Cap, and we heard pretty much none of it due to Kitty and Bobby mocking the conversation. They had a conversation between them; whilst taking up the roles of Hank and Captain America. This was not only immensely fun to read, but also to look at; due to the fact that Marquez is a God at nailing facial expressions. I found myself with a big smile on my face as I was reading through this scene.
Jean Grey also had a very nice moment at the end of this issue; which followed a very well constructed rant by young Warren. It has become clear in previous issues that he has been struggling to get to grips with what exactly he becomes in the future; so everything came out regarding that in this issue.

Overall, this may be one of the best written comic on the stands at the moment. Bendis has a great feel for every single character that he writes. No wonder he has quite a few X books on the go at the moment. This is a massive time for the X-Men, and it is great to see that they have the right man behind them in moving forward. If you are a fan of these characters then I strongly recommend you guys get involved with this series. Yes at times there may not be much action involved; but all that is forgotten due to the fantastic character moments throughout each and every issue.

Rating: 8.9 / 10


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Comic Book Thoughts

Hey guys!

Checking in here just to give some brief thoughts on a couple of books I have just read. I will not be picking up any new books this week until Saturday  so there will be no reviews until this weekend. Have a good rest of the week :)


Captain America #3 - About halfway through this issue I was starting to get bored of this whole Dimension Z setting. I enjoyed it immensely in the first two issues, but halfway through this issue I thought it was going to get stale. Well, that is what I thought; this was until a last page that really shocked me. This is an still an enjoyable series, but I just hope that it starts picking up the pace soon. The last page of this issue makes me think that the pace will be picking up rather soon.  7 / 10

Wolverine and the X-Men #23 - This was a great issue which concluded the murder circus story arc. I went into this arc totally not bothered, and I have come out of the other side quite shocked with just how great it was. The character development in this book regarding the new Dr Frankenstein is great, and I am looking forward to seeing how Idie is going to develop in the next couple of issues. Once again there was some fantastic art in this book, as always. This is such a great run, and I really can not recommend it high enough. Issue #24 comes out this week which I think may be a great jumping on point for new readers. 8.5 / 10

Captain America #2 Review

This feels like not Cap book that I have ever read before. So much so that if you took Cap out of it then you would just think it was a creator owned comic book or something along those lines. Thats is not a bad thing at all, as after Brubaker it was always going to be hard to follow on from his amazing run. So what is the best thing to do? Make a book that no one expected and make it more interesting than anyone thought possible. Congratulations Remender and Romita, this series has me firmly on board.

We start this issue one year in the future as Cap and the little boy he helped escape from Zora are still trapped in the wilderness of Dimension Z. Here follows villains that speak very strangely, and look like something from another dimension. Romita's artwork in this makes the world look horrendous. You really feel how huge the task is for Cap and Ian just from Romita's environment.
Speaking of Ian, he is a character who is getting pretty much no development. I am not sure if he even had any dialogue this issue. This could be due to the fact that Remender may be killing him off soon, I dont know. I am just going to go along with it for now though as this lack of development with Ian does not take anything away from the book at all.
One thing I did really like about this issue, and what seems to be an ongoing thing in this series, is the flashbacks to Cap's upbringing. I am very engaged in these, and find them very informative. They also link loosely with events that are happening in the present which is quite clever.

I would highly suggest picking this book up even if you are not a Cap fan. It is NOT a traditional Cap book, and I think many people will be surprised by just how good it actually is. Plus Cap has a beard and long hair, which in my books makes this series pretty awesome.


Rating: 8 / 10

Avengers #2 Review

This series is going to be epic. You can tell that already after reading the first two issues. Jonathan Hickman is building something here that should not be missed. It feels very refreshing compared to other Avenger related titles of late, and is something that I want to read more of instantly after putting an issue down.

In this issue the story goes backwards and forwards between the Avengers held captive on Mars and Captain America and Iron Man building an extended team to rescue them and defeat the new villains. This could have easily been two issues which may have been an easier way for Hickman to tell this story. However, he has gone for the harder route, but he has definitely conquered it. The way this issue flowed was terrific, and it still has that epic movie feel which I liked so much about issue one.

I really enjoyed hearing more from the new villains who are holding Earths mightiest heroes on Mars. Their plan to change earth for what they see as the better, to me anyway, is a very unique idea which I enjoyed hearing the back story for.
Also, seeing the team come together was also nice. It is something that has been done before obviously, but I really enjoyed some of the character moments on show which were quite humorous; which is in contrast to what this book is.

The art was once again outstanding, and may even be better than what was on show in the first issue. It is art which I was not too familiar with going into this series, but I keep finding myself spending some time looking at certain panels and just thinking: "Wow".

All in all this is once again another great issue which is just a small part of this epic scale world that Hickman is creating. I find myself looking forward to the next issue; which I am sure will be great due to what I believe may be a big battle between the extended team and these bad guys. I am sure the art will also flourish if the next issue is built in that way. If you are an Avengers fan then you really need to check this book out. One of the books of the week for sure.


Rating: 8.5 / 10

Avengers #1 Review

The Avengers have been very much like the Hulk for me in recent time. I have been desperate to get into an ongoing Avenger series but none have ever really stood out or done enough to keep me interested. With Marvel NOW! I thought I may as well pick this up and give it a go. All I can say after reading this issue is: "congratulations Jonathan Hickman", this may be something special...

The tone is set for this book straight away in the opening few pages. While I was reading them I honestly thought that this could have been the beginning of the Avengers film sequel. Everything feels so epic and it really grabs you from the get go. I also loved the way the story was going backwards and forwards in time in a similar fashion to the way Hawkeye has been operating. It flowed really well, and added to the epic feeling that this issue gives as a whole.
The introduction of the new villains has made me very intrigued. We are all unfamiliar with them at the moment, which I think was a great call by Bendis. I was not expecting any new villains, but I am sure happy now that we have been given some. Their plan is also of epic proportion. What is also great about them is the fact that they have not just been thwarted by the Avengers after just one issue, You really get the feeling that these guys will be sticking around for a while.

I can also honestly say that I am not too familiar with any artwork previously done by Jerome Opena; even though the name sounds slightly familiar. However, I thought that in this issue his work was absolutely stunning, and it fits this title down to the ground. Some of the panels were really just breathtaking.

Overall, this was an absolutely fantastic setup issue for what I am sure is going to be a very exciting series to keep our eyes on. I am desperate to learn more about the bad guys along with their powers, as well as seeing how our heroes escape from the predicament they have found themselves in. It is clear that Hickman is creating something here on an epic level, and it is something that I am desperate for more of. I have finally found my Avengers book.


Rating: 9.5 / 10

Uncanny Avengers #2 Review

So if you read my review of issue #1 last month then you will know that I was not too impressed with how this series started. I believed it was a very mediocre start and I was close to dropping it due to a total lack of interest in what was happening. In fact, it was only really the very last page of issue #1 that made me want to pick up this issue. However, picking this issue up has turned out to be a very very good decision.

The issue starts with the clean up operation after Avalanche's rampage seen in the last issue. There was a really nice conversation in this between Cap and Wolverine, in which we learned more about why this new team looks how it does. It is all pretty obvious but it was nice for it to be said, as on first look this team really does look a bit random and odd.
Another part of this issue that I really enjoyed was the scene where we saw how some members of the population were being brainwashed into murdering mutants. It was nicely done, and shows the kind of reach that the Red Skull has. Talking of the main man himself, he was really brilliant in this issue. He was written just how he should have been. He seems very villainous indeed, which is exactly what superhero comic books need. Without a worthwhile villain books can really fall flat, but with the Red Skull, you know it is always going to be difficult.
It was also very nice to see his new abilities. In this issue he "convinced" a certain X-Man to join his team and help him exterminate mutants. This ended up being pretty short lived, however it shows once again just how dangerous he is going to be in this story arc.

This was a great issue but it was not without its faults. For example, I am not too sure what to make of the Red Skulls' henchmen. They do not seem very dangerous at all, and have not really had shown why exactly they should be feared. I am hoping in a future issue we learn a bit more about them, and we get to see what they can do. Right now though it looks like these henchmen are going to be the downfall of the Red Skull.

This was an issue that I went in to not too bothered about at all. I was planning on reading it and dropping the series. However, I have now had a massive turnaround of opinion. So much so that I am eagerly anticipating the next issue. I want to see more of the Red Skull for obvious reasons, however I am also wanting to see a lot more of Havoc as well. He was a character that I have not read much about before this series but I was impressed by him in issue #1, so I am hoping he features more in #3. This is turning into a nice little story arc.


Rating: 8.5 / 10

Uncanny Avengers #1

So Marvel Now! is here. Well kind of. Most of the new books are not starting until next month. So yeah, its here but not here. I was quite excited for this series, but that was more due to intrigue. Going into this issue I wasn't too sure whether I was going to pick this series up regularly or not. Did this issue convince me one way or the other? Not really unfortunately.

Firstly, the team of the Uncanny Avengers consists of characters that I am not exactly massive fans of. Yeah sure, I love Cap, Thor and of course Wolverine. However, I am not really major fans of the Scarlet Witch or Havok. Saying that, I do think it is great t that Marvel are pushing forward some of their characters forward that are not as well known as others. Seeing the same characters team after team can get pretty boring, so thumbs up to them for trying something new.

Even though lesser known characters are being pushed in this series, Wolverine still had the best moment in the issue. He performed a perfect eulogy at Xavier's funeral, which was actually a very touching moment. Even though you could see it coming it still has the desired effect on you when reading it. Havok seeing his brother in SHIELD base was also pretty intense, and did a great job at making Cyclops come across as a real asshole. I know this is what they have been trying to do in other series during and after AvX, and in my opinion have failed miserably seeing as he is still one of my favourite characters. However, in this book his ideology really does seem flawed. He seems so full of his own importance and is therefore very very un likeable. As hard as that is for me to say. But as I stated, it is something that really need be done well, and they certainly succeeded.

A major turn off in this book for me were the villians used. Avalanche was just fine. His appearance was pretty good, which saw a solid little battle between him and some of the team in the middle of the book. It is the bad guy team that interrupted Scarlet Witch and Rogue that totally sucked. I assume they are new villians, but oh wow did they suck. They just looked terrible. They may be working for one of the most famous villians in the Marvel universe ( at least I think they are working for him ) at the end of the book but I hope that they do not play a big part in this opening arc. Red Skull was awesome to see at the end ( as seen in last sentence ) and his plan of action is pretty interesting and unique. It could be a devlopment to keep your eyes on.

Yeah so I am not totally convinced on this book just yet. Some pretty cool bits which got my attention, but overall it didn't make me desperate for the next issue. Saying that, I will probably purchase it to see more of Red Skull, Havok, Wolverine, and Cyclops. We will see. If I do I may only give it one more issue to really grab me. I really hope Marvel Now! as a whole is better than this.

Rating 6/10

New Comic Book Day 10/10/12

Here is a list of titles that I am picking up this week. I will be reviewing 3-4 of these, if anyone wants particular issues reviewed then please let me know :)

DC: Batman #13, Batgirl #13, Punk Rock Jesus #4, Suicide Squad #13
Image: The Walking Dead Michonne Special, Happy #1 ( Think this came out a couple of weeks ago)
Marvel:  AvX Consequences #1, Captain America #18, Secret Service #4, Uncanny Avengers #1, Wolverine and the X-men #18

 I dont actually pick up my weekly books until Friday / Saturday usually, so there will be no new book reviews until the end of the week. However, I will be publishing a couple more reviews from LAST weeks books in the next couple of days.

Hope everyone is having a great new comic book day :)