Avengers #6

Written by Mark WaidPenciled by Mike Del Mundo
Cover by Alex Ross
Published Apr 5, 2017

   Vision tells future Vision that the experiment has failed. While the latter tells him to have hope, he's even more bothered that he apparently outlives all of his teammates. Future Vision tells him that might not exactly be the case. Meanwhile Spider-Man's team in Ancient Egypt plans to blow up the fusion reactor. Hercules washes the group out of harm's way while Falcon throws his shield at the trigger. They escape from the pyramid just in time for it to explode, eliminating Kang's weapons cache.
   In the future, Wasp and Giant Man are blasted with the future stealing ray, sending Captain Marvel to a past that doesn't exist. The two Thors are able to combine their hammer and knock the creature with the ray off guard, while Giant Man reverses the weapon. The Avengers who were beginning to disappear are able to get the ray to Captain Marvel which is enough to disrupt Kang's financial empire.
   Another team in the future puts together a plan. The imprisoned Avengers starts to smash everything, trying to change history. They take out Kang's army until he realizes what they're doing. Drawing their guns, the weapons disintegrate - revealing that some of the time displaced teams' plans are working. Vision gathers them back and they move to take down a poor, depowered and weak Kang.
   Unfortunately they find themselves with one final task. The Scarlet Centurion and Immortus, both future identities of Kang. Even Doctor Doom appears, and as the Kang's shoot the rays at each Avenger, Giant Man runs and realizes they're all future incarnations of the villain. None from the past. He gets the helmet from earlier and puts it on weak Kang's head, shutting down and reversing everything.
   The issue concludes with the future Vision congratulating Dr. Pym for figuring that out. He agrees to bring all the past Avengers back to their timelines with no knowledge of this, except for Vision's. His future incarnation retains the gizmo with Kang trapped inside. Below them rests the tombstone of Avenger X - Bravest of All... and with that, we're left to be continued.
   This is the worst penciled and inked comic book I've ever seen published for a major comic producer. I hate it and I'm having a hard time continuing a subscription if there's no plans to change. I don't know what he's going for, but I have to think Mike Del Mundo is more talented than this. I don't need abstract comic book art, and I pray there's some change going forward. The story was ok but the artwork is bad enough to reduce this to a 3/10.

If you like this review, check out my video of it HERE.

You can also buy my physical copy of this book HERE.

Like comics? Check out my ebay store HERE.

Follow me at facebook, twitter, or instagram as well.

Until next time, thanks so much for reading.

Royals #1

Written by Al Ewing
Penciled by Jonboy Meyers
Cover by Jonboy Meyers
Published April 5, 2017

   5000 years from now, dawn rises over New Arctilan. Giant beasts circle the sky with riders atop them. Cocoons continue to grow in the distance while the last Inhuman awakes in the tower of Wisdom. The rider picks up the lone figure and brings him to the cliffs. There he inscribes the tale of the seven who sought the odyssey and the six that returned.
   Engineered by the Kree millions of years ago, the Inhumans were designed to grow. Through terrigen, they mastered themselves while humanity hid on caves. Now with the cloud destroyed, Medusa and her group witness what is probably the last Inhuman ever. They fight to wrangle her in while through her inner monologue, Medusa talks about feeling sick and tired. Flint and Iso arrive to do what Gorgon couldn't do. They thin out the atmosphere and the beast falls asleep. Suddenly Medusa's sister Crystal calls her with news. A visitor named Noh-Var (and called Marvel Boy on Earth) explains to them that he knows a secret. A secret of who they are. Destroying the terrigen cloud ended renewed life as the Inhumans knew it. But do they really know who they are in the first place? Marvel Boy tells them that on Hala, the destroyed Kree Homeworld, the secret lies buried deep. Medusa agrees to go solo, but Iso tries to intervene on the ex-Royal family embarking on a suicide mission. Medusa argues that it was during her rule that ended thirteen millennia of Inhuman growth. She tells Iso that she has Triton and Karnak to help keep order. Flint, a non-royal volunteer and the crew of seven makes their plans to disembark.
   The volunteers say their farewells. Marvel Boy reveals some sinister intentions. Swain, Flint, Crystal, and Gorgon all tell their families goodbye. Medusa tries to tell her husband, former Inhuman King Blackbolt of her sick feelings but decides it can wait. The next morning, their ship departs New Attilan. They were once Kings, Queens.. but now must become Exiles. As they rush to meet their void, Medusa feels it clutch at her. Her powerful and life holding hair begins to break in her fingers and she decides it time to speak it aloud. She's dying she tells the crew of her ship - and with that we're left to be continued.
   The thought of there being an Inhumans title without Medusa is unfathomable to me. I don't know exactly what makes her intriguing but there's something about this character that bonds this still relatively unfamiliar crew of heroes. Whether this is posturing, which I'd probably think it might be given the clues, I guess that of the seven - only six return. Hopefully it's everybody but Marvel Boy. I give this one a 9/10.

If you like this review, check out my video of it HERE.

You can also buy my physical copy of this book HERE.

Like comics? Check out my ebay store HERE.

Follow me at facebook, twitter, or instagram as well.

Until next time, thanks so much for reading.

Star Wars #30

Written by Jason Aaron
Penciled by Salvador Larocca
Cover by Stuart Immonen
Published April 5, 2017

   Luke is confronted by an older Garro, who accuses him of coming back to the planet at the behest of his master. As Garro once considered himself Yoda's master as well, he tells Luke that the older Jedi ruined the planet. He sends shards of stone into Luke's back and completes the story. Yoda held the stone giant's foot in place with the force while the child army is discouraged he's not already crushed. They use the force - he pushes back. Finally the foot comes down and the children, including Garro celebrate. Suddenly a small plume of smoke appears, as well as a green lightsaber blade and the foot steps up. "Impossible" the children say until they realize the Jedi is not alone. Not so dead this world is. The giants never died... they were just sleeping. As the other group of warring children meditate, the stone gian speaks the words of the others. "IMPOSSIBLE" it says as more and more of them crawl from beneath the ground.
   Walking towards the children, one of them orders them to kill the little frog man. But Yoda says there will be no killing today. Only learning - and painful will the lessons be. It's during the telling of this story that Garro realizes Luke doesn't actually know the story. He pulls his blaster is quickly relieved of it. Garro tells him that once the children met Yoda, they realized they weren't alone in the universe and slowly, they all built ships and left, leaving the world to die. Now they're all gone, and Garro plans to use Luke to finish the war. Luke doesn't see it that way and refuses to fight before Garro again stabs him with one of his flying arrows.
   Back to Yoda's story, he disarms all of the children of spears and such and they all run away until only Garro is left. He tell him that since Garro once taught him to speak with the stone, now he must listen to his own teachings. Put down the spears and end this war. But in the present, Garro realizes that by killing the Jedi is the only way to end it. Luke tells him to look around.. The war is over. Back to Yoda's time, the child throws down his spear. The warring factions of children reconcile as the stone giants live in peace and Garro walks to the caves. In the present, what's left of the stone people hide behind Luke as he uses his blade to deflect Garro's arrows. Realizing that Luke is right, he turns and walks away. He grabs ahold of the mountain and says it's time for his final lesson... for Yoda. He disappears into the rock.
     Back in the past, Yoda returns to his ship and leaves, keeping the secret for generations and only telling Obi Wan to pass on the lesson he's learned. Luke orders the stone children to follow him and they walk into the mountain to get it pumping again. The issue wraps on the Degobah System where Yoda stands. Find him soon Luke shall.. and with that, this issue comes to an end.
   I've liked a great deal of this storyline but this one was anticlimactic. It could have built up and ended on a much higher tone but for some reason, it felt rushed and jumbled. Maybe it's just me. Either way, for the merits, Jason Aaron still knows how to tell a great story. The art is phenomenal and what the creators of this book can still do has endless possibilities. I give this one a 7/10 and look forward to the next one.

If you like this review, check out my video of it HERE.

You can also buy my physical copy of this book HERE.

Like comics? Check out my ebay store HERE.

Follow me at facebook, twitter, or instagram as well.

Until next time, thanks so much for reading.

X-Men Blue #1

Written by Cullen Bunn
Penciled by Jorge Molina
Cover by Arthur Adams
Published Apr 12 2017

   The five time displaced original X-Men fly in the blackbird while Iceman complains it being too slow. Obviously now lacking Pickles, the teleporting demon, now makes things a little harder to travel. The conversation meanders through Jean Gray now being the team leader as Angel closes in on the yacht they've been tailing. They leap aboard and find the cradft deserted, though Jean picks up the thoughts of life forms.
   As they make their way down the deck, Scott talks about how much he misses barber shops as they round the corner down into the galley. There Black Tom Cassidy addresses his hostages - the boats passengers. The X-Men don't plan on allowing his piracy to continue any longer and attack. Surprised that they appear younger, he gloats while Warren Worthington asks that they watch for collateral damage on his future yacht. Jean Gray and Hank McCoy double team him while Scott tells him that according to his files, he's never beaten the X-Men - then or now. Warren tells the passengers the fight is over but Cassidy has a surprise up his sleeve.
   Without warning, the Juggernaut bursts through he wall, bowling them all over. Cassidy tells him that this is an odd bunch of younger X-Men before Angel comes bolting into the room, picking him up and slamming him into the ballroom's ceiling. Juggernaut becomes even angrier, again throwing more hatred to Scott Summers than to anyone else for killing Charles Xavier. Cyclops tries to tell him he's got the wrong Scott Summers when Jean Gray puts a reinvigorated Black Tom Cassidy into a deep sleep. Meanwhile Juggernaut chases Cyclops onto the ships deck with Bobby Drake in tow. He freezes water under the giant's feet, and he slips through the boats railing and into the ocean, sinking like a stone.
   As soon as the team can take a breath, Juggernaut punches through the hull of the ship. As he stomps hole after hole in the ship, Beast has an idea. Juggernaut may know these X-Men from the past, but he doesn't know what they've learned since being here. Using sorcery, Beast sends octopus tentacles, demons, skeletons, and the undead from the sea floor, pulling the Juggernaut under. Cyclops and Marvel Girl stand by, shocked. Scott screams at him... this isn't what X-Men do. The people on board however are relieved, for their safety's sake as well as for the sake of their money. Jean has to silence them though as it takes all of her concentration to keep the ship afloat.
   Back home in Madripoor, Scott asks Jean if they're dropping the ball. She tries to reassure him. If he was to ever have a moment to relax, they'd think a pod person had taken his place. They walk the hallway with news of their prisoner's capture to the boss... There at the end of the hallway stands Magneto, congratulating his X-Men. That's one...  but with images of Sebastian Shaw and Emma Frost on the monitors behind him, there's many more to go.
    The issue wraps with a small group of deputies up in snow country. Something massive has settled in and been hunting in the area. They all fan out to search and happen upon a stranger. They ask him if he's ok before being interrupted by the massive Wendigo. In the confusion the stranger is shot through the head. He falls, but soon rises. And as the dogs and police are scattered about, a familiar "SNIKT" rings out. What appears to be some incarnation of the younger Wolverine, or clone... something.. slashes back at the Wendigo. As the blood flies, he screams out to the officers to run. She does just that, but as she returns, she hears an odd howling. With only injured or dead officers at the site of the attack, she can only wonder where the Wendigo and this strange man have gone off too. We'll have to all wonder though, as with that, this issue is left to be continued.
   This book has literally blown away it's counterpart, X-Men Gold. No controversy for this one however. Cullen Bunn is no stranger to X-tales, and Jorge Melina's art is as crisp as ever. Although they left a few members of the "All New X-Men" behind, this pretty much picks up right on it's tails. It's as pretty good one too. If there's any that carry the banner, it's this one. And I'm looking forward to the weeks ahead. I give it a 9/10.

If you like this review, check out my video of it HERE.

You can also buy my physical copy of this book HERE.
(unfortunately this one was already purchased..)

Like comics? Check out my ebay store HERE.

Follow me at facebook, twitter, or instagram as well.

Until next time, thanks so much for reading.

X-Men Gold #1

Written by Mark Guggenheim
Penciled by Ardian Syaf
Cover by Ardian Syaf
Published April 5, 2017

    Lydia Nance, director of the Heritage Initiate, goes on the Fact Channel to continue the schism against mutantkind. Meanwhile on the streets of New York, the X-Men Gold Team assembles. Terrax attacks and the group's ground attack isn't working. Kitty Pryde orders Storm and Prestige into the air to take the villain for a ride. Storm hits him with a lightning bolt, while back on the ground, Colossus holds up the building while Kitty and Logan use Nightcrawler to port to the top of it. As Logan leaps off the building and attacks Terrax, Prestige knocks him out with a barrage of bricks. As Colossus loses his grip, Kitty phases the entire skyscraper and rides it all the way to the ground.
   As the X-Men collect themselves, a crowd develops while Kitty walks out of the rubble. As the majority of them jeer, she introduces them to their skeptics... but with the intro adds that she understands they have a long way to go rebuilding the public's trust. Back at their new home base in Central Park, they enjoy some R&R with what else - a softball game. Logan gives props to the once youngest x-protege while the extremely tired "I thought we weren't supposed to be using powers" gag is once again dragged out. Logan tells Kitty how he used to think these games were a waste of time but now how much he appreciates them. Just then a man in a suit walks up. One of the mayor's people deliver's Kitty an invoice for the taxes and lease payments for the mansion's new residence being in the middle of town. The horror washes over her as it turns out to be a total of about 18 million dollars. Later that night, Storm and Nightcrawler watch the replay of the Fact Channel and she quotes Magneto - pointing out that maybe the X-Men have a chance to regain their revered status. Nightcrawler accuses her of sounding hopeful and asks why she tried to leave the team. She tells him that she lead the X-Men into a war - a losing one as Lydia Nance mentions the mutants' aggression against the Inhumans. Meanwhile Prestige trains in the Danger Room with Rockslide and Armor where one of them refers to her as Ms. Grey. She explains that her new name, Prestige, is new where Marvel Girl and Phoenix were too rooted in the past. While back in Xavier's old office, Kitty wonders if it's maybe not too late to go back to the Guardians of the Galaxy. Colossus walks in asking if she'd like to join her for dinner. She declines any romantic advancements as Rachel runs in to tell her someone is attacking the city.
   They walk into the Blackbird bay where Storm tells her someone's attacking the UN building. Nightcrawler climbs into the cockpit and they arrive. A hole smokes in the middle of the building. As the X-Men prepare to make their move, some familiar faces are there in some not so familiar roles. The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants prepare to square off with them and with that, we're left to be continued.
   I see there was some controversy to the penciler of this book. Some kind of religious symbolism and anti-Semitic imagery. Eventually Ardian Syaf was fired because of it, none of which should be considered a big loss because this is one of the worst penciled books I've seen come out of Marvel - especially for a first issue - in a long time. I don't know what happened to all the greats from 10-20 years ago but these newcomers leave a lot to be desired. The writing is equally weak, and just as subpar as the artwork. So far the book it replaced, Extraordinary X-Men, left it in the dust. I give this issue a 5/10 and hope Marvel isn't putting scrubs on these books. Because that sure is how it feels.

If you like this review, check out my video of it HERE.

You can also buy my physical copy of this book HERE.
(unfortunately this one was already purchased..)

Like comics? Check out my ebay store HERE.

Follow me at facebook, twitter, or instagram as well.

Until next time, thanks so much for reading.

Spider-Man #15

Written by Brian Michael Bendis

Penciled by Szymon Kudranski
Cover by Patrick Brown
Published Apr 5, 2017

   After their wild dimension hopping adventure, Jefferson and his son Miles aka Spider-Man make a phone call to his mom but she doesn't answer. He leaves a message and they go for dinner. Jefferson asks Miles about his Spider-Girl love interest, and they share a quick Father-Son talk before Bendis has to throw an SJW jab in, thinking Miles was in love with Ganke. They take off, planning to sneak back into their respective homes keeping Rio in the dark.
   Jefferson quietly enters the house and finds his wife sitting in the living room asking if Miles is with him. They hear a noise in his bedroom and she calls out to him, ordering him to come out now. He walks in and she shows him a formula for his web fluid she found. She demands answers - her husband and son mysteriously disappear and in addition to the fluid, she finds a mystery phone of her husbands. He tells her he's working for SHIELD again. She asks why and he says it was because he was worried about Miles. She looks at her son and he removes his shirt. Clinging to the ceiling, he reveals to her that he's Spider-Man. She asks how long it's been going on and he tells her a couple of years. Enraged, she accuses Jefferson of lying to her all this time.
   Miles explains to her that he kept it from her because anyone who knows is in danger. He apologizes and Jefferson tells her not to go to her mother with this info. She tells him he no longer can make those demands. She's just gonna tell everyone he cheated on her, which is about all the same.
   Meanwhile back at the dorm, Miles listens in as Ganke watches youtube videos trolling Spidey. Disgusted, he gets up just as Fabio Medina stops by with an army of pizzas left over from a social. They discuss the events that just took place which essentially ties in everything from a few issues back. A page later, a nefarious figure sits talking to his henchmen about there being too many superheroes ruining their plans. He especially refers to Spider-man. And back at Jerfferson's apartment, the super mysterious cell phone rings. A SHIELD operative informs him Maria Hill is no longer with the organization and all of her operations are suspended. The phone disintegrates and with that, he's no longer a secret agent.
   The issue concludes with Danika the viral youtube Spider hater walking down the halls of the school. There Ganke stops to say hello and with that, this storyline is over.
   I've been a fan of Brian Michael Bendis for a long time. The only irritating thing with him is that you better plan on doing a lot of reading. He's got to be one of the most banal and long winded writers out there. I understand his employment with Guardians of the Galaxy is coming to an end. I really wouldn't mind seeing someone take control of Miles Morales' destiny as well. For now though, I guess we're stuck with him. I give this one a 7/10.

If you like this review, check out my video of it HERE.

You can also buy my physical copy of this book HERE.

Like comics? Check out my ebay store HERE.

Follow me at facebook, twitter, or instagram as well.

Until next time, thanks so much for reading.

Old Man Logan #20

Written by Jeff Lemire

Penciled by Filipe Andrade
Cover by Andrea Sorrentino
Published Mar 29, 2017

   After fighting to the bottom of the Raft, Logan finds what he was looking for. The time traveling criminal Asmodeus. Studying up on him and learning about his run ins with the Avengers, he offers him freedom from prison in exchange for sending him back in time. Logan produces a bag of artifacts from which Asmodeus procures his powers. Pilfered from Dr Strange, Logan cleverly snuck around the sanctum until he found what he was looking for.
   With his distraction running it's course, he tells Asmodeus that time is of the essence. Spider-Man draws closer to them with a SHIELD guard in tow, and right before encountering them, the criminal and the mutant vanish. Materializing in a low rent storage locker in New Jersey, Logan pops the lock off and just making sure the spell is temporary, Asmodeus begins. As long as Logan wears the amulet he gave him, the spell will only last 4 days. Then his consciousness will return to his body - a tidbit of info that Logan isn't too keen on. Regardless, these are the terms. Asmodeus cuts Logan's hand for the blood needed for the spell. He drinks it and quiets the mind... With that, he sees all of Logan's past, freeing his consciousnesses and leaving his body at the storage unit. There a sinister looking Asmodeus brandishes a knife.
   When Logan awakes, he's in the snow with blood on his hands. Unaware of which part of the Wastelands the villain sent him to, he begins to walk down a trail of blood when he reaches the end of it. A heap of dead soldiers lie in the snow when a rifle is lowered at his head. Telling him to freeze, the mounted general tells his brigade that Canada's best assassin is now their prisoner. Old Man Logan is smack dab in the middle of the war of 1812 and with that, we're left to be continued...
   While I'm disappointed that the only Sorrentino art we get now in this book is the covers, the story work is still pretty solid. We've been being teased with the "Past Lives" storyline forever now and it looks like we're on the cusp of finally getting into it. What Logan is supposed to find out is a mystery we'd all like to know. With this issue acting as a setup, I still have continued hopes they can sharpen up the pencil work a little bit more. But overall I still give it an 8/10.

If you like this review, check out my video of it HERE.

You can also buy my physical copy of this book HERE.

Like comics? Check out my ebay store HERE.

Follow me at facebook, twitter, or instagram as well.

Until next time, thanks so much for reading.