pauly p. Comic Reviews

For the price, it's a fun palate cleanser, if you're into books slightly left Of Center.

Id like to see Secret Empire finally be put to bed and move past it once and for all, but this book has moved to a place after 11 issues its at least on the back burner story wise as Coates has evolved almost another story around it. If you jumped off the first issues like a lot of Cap fans I know, give it another look because its definitely getting interesting.

Just when it seemed Coates had turned a corner and was moving past Secret Empire and telling his own story, we are thrown right back in and reminded for the umpteenth time that Cap was the Supreme Commander Of Hydra, and he can't be trusted.

Meanwhile, back in Daughters HQ, Nick Fury and his boys crash in looking for Steve, but they were lured in by the Dryad instead, and she isn't happy!

Now that the cloak is down, we see what the Watchdogs are really up to - Using A.I.M. tech to traffic the townspeople. Guarding a portal is apparently better-trained Watchdogs. Cap, Echo and White Tiger once again square off only this time Sin shows up, evens the odds and disappears. They managed to save a lot of workers, and after hacking into the Watchdogs server they see the Watchdogs are deeper than they ever thought. Fisk, Von Strucker… and they get a lock on where the teleporter was taking them - to Madripoor.

Straight out of a seedy gangster movie, a cop is gunned down in cold blood while a monologue talks about Brotherhood and trust. A slim figure in a trench coat finishes off the cop near what looks like an '87 Buick, as if you had any doubt he was a cop! Meanwhile, Cap and The Daughters review the intel they have on the Power Elite - Some big names: Fisk, Crossbones, and in the first blast from the past Aleksander Lukin and his Daughter…. er, Wife. They discuss the ins and outs of an older man and a younger woman. Oh, Snap! All eyes turn to Steve and Sharon.

Im beginning to wonder how well Coates actually knows Cap. This issue is full of odd ideas and overreactions, and we still dont know much about the power elite, but its becoming a mystery Im rapidly losing interest in. The art was better this issue than previous, but still not enough to raise the score.

:The penultimate issue of this arc… and it really falls flat. Yet again, Ta-Nehisi Coates drags things out, and this book is moving simultaneously at a snail's pace, while details to fill in the gaps are completely glossed over and never referenced again. Coats seem to want Steve to have his cake and eat it too. He wants Steve to still be distrusted and looked at with suspicion, but at the flip of a switch be loved and admired againwith no buildup and no foreshadowing. We all love a great Steve Rogers inspirational speech, but here it just comes across as banal and uninspired. Heres hoping after this arc is finished we can start moving again!

After essentially stalling for several issues, we finally get some answers. While some were choreographed from the start, at least we get an explanation that makes plausible, comic book sense. Its good to see whats essentially a greatest hits reunion of Caps friends, and even though it seems well be going back to the well for The Red Skull (next to the Joker, one of the most overused arch-villains in comics), it will be nice to see Cap acting heroically again. Its certainly been a long time since weve seen that.

Coates once again moves this book along so slowly that this issue could literally have been told in 5 pages.

If you're after a fun book that doesn't take a ton of investment, you could do A Lot worse than Cosmic Chost Rider Destroys Marvel History. Pick this up!

Continuing a hilarious romp through time, this is the pivotal issue! We get some hilariously large stakes to Frank's meddling. It's the weakest issue as far the events he inserts himself into, but moves the story along at a great pace. There's a few chuckles to be had, and the over the top cartoony art works nicely.

This series has been a blast! Issue six finishes off the mini, and despite there not being a lot of hijinx, some real emotions seeing Frank's family killed (yet again) in front of him. It all gets wrapped up in a very satisfying way, and Paul Scheer and Nick Giovannetti leave the character in a perfectly usable spot for the next time we see Frank Castle as Cosmic Ghost Rider.

:Somehow this book managed to escape the COVID shutdown- not because it isnt good, it definitely is; but this book is the 2020 definition of a slow burn story. The current state comics is all about writing for the trade; not a long form character exploration. The background Macguffin of the Antlion attack somehow feels inconsequential compared to Dooms near-ridiculous theatre of making his inner circle swear an oath on bended knee. This is really a psychological, Game Of Thrones-esque story. This issue is not a good book to jump in on if you havent been reading it, but if you have been following along, this a great continuation of a little book that could. Add in top notch art, and this book is a winner.

As a one-shot tie into a very big event, do you need to read this issue? Probably not if you're in it for just the Empyre storyline. If you happen to be a Cap fan anyway, it's actually a very good standalone Cap story. We get all the classic Steve Rogers hits without it feeling forced.

Well, this issue is pointless as a Cap story and an Empyre tie-in. The story could have been told in a few panels in the main Empyre title, but we get a whole lot nothing. The art is good enough, the coloring is also quite good, but anything of the remotest of substance is pointlessly dragged out just to fill up the page count. The bottom line: you can completely skip this issue and be just fine.

Tom Taylor once again manages to show how much he LOVES the characters he writes, no matter which company it is.

For me, this continues to be the best Spidey book currently out. It has real, yet personal stakes to the story moves the story along nicely with a bit of action towards the end. It's a quick read but very satisfying. Tom Taylor just nails the voices the characters without ever feeling preachey or contrived.

This has been my favourite Spidey book in the Marvel lineup hands down - Tom Taylor continues to write a very human Spider-man, and Incorporates Iron Man/Tony Stark in a very organic way. This issue resolves the Fairgray pay arc, but it ends with a bit of a whimper rather than a bang. Still, everything is wrapped up nicely and it opens up nicely for the next arc.

It's obvious that Peter wouldn't be the hero he is without the love, support and kindness of MJ - and Tom Taylor shows us why one of the oldest love stories in all of comics is still the most enduring, and the kind of relationship we should all strive for.

We finally see a bit more character development with Riri this issue- Eve Ewing does a good job balancing a personal story with a global, magical threat. Dr Strange plays a credible, even fun Father Figure for an issue in a guest spot that actually makes sense in the story. After a slow start to the series, its good see it starting to pick up and get interesting on multiple levels.

It's a solid start for the new Loki.

Its a new status quo for most of our notable Asgardians, and while weve seen Loki at times be considered an anti-hero, giving him serious responsibilities and a newfound sense of purpose is a new twist in his long story. Whether he will take it as seriously as his brother remains to be seen, and while Ive never been a Thor guy this is an intriguing start and Ill definitely stick around to see where it leads. The cartoony art matches well with the slightly comical tone of the story without ever going into farce or being too silly. Its a solid start for the new Loki.

It was good to see Nightmare - the Freddy Krueger of the Marvel Universe as more than a laughingstock and hopefully we see him looking menacing in the next few issues. Maybe it will all clear up in a few issues, but as it this issue just sort of stalls. Bit of a let down.

Final Thoughts: If you've ever read DC's Sandman, these sorts of heady topics are nothing new, but they are interestingly presented here and Loki's own cunning and trickery are used against him in a very clever way. What's a man/woman who gets everything they want to do? The intentionally ambiguous ending leaves on a genuine cliffhanger. It's an interesting take on the philosophy and contextual place of heroes in society. I'm really looking forward to the next issue!

Just like Olestra chips it seems like food, but shortly after you consume it, its out of your system again.

Taken as a whole, this book is good for a fun trip down memory lane with paper thin stories and 90's art, including 90's accurate hyper anatomical muscles and gravity defying boobs. If only this book came with glow in the dark variants!

I'm not familiar with any of this creative team, but the art really stands out. A great mix of cartoony meets realistic. This book would make the perfect palate cleanser between two heavier books or a nice way to whittle away 15 minutes.

Another moral quandary later, Felix decides to covertly sabotage the project. It goes as well as youd expect- Harold, now in an Ill-fitting lab coat, decides they have to kill him. Luckily, Cap, Falcon, and Iron Man are in the neighborhood and dive in, save Felix, and" apparently leave the A.I.M. underground base intact for more shenanigans. I cant imagine how that might not be a great idea. Felix turns down a job at Stark Industries to keep working on B&W tvs and toasters and not go to college for some reason, but instead help rebuild and gentrify the South Bronx because nothing says job security like working the family business fixing up TVs. Just wait until Felix sees the Maytag commercials in the 80s!

This story takes place in a very specific time in the Spidey timeline- the original story occurred when I was about 10 and reading the Spidey Books without a jaded sense of theyre just comics. All the little subplots- Black Cat and her luck powers, Peter on the outs with Aunt May, the strangeness of this alien suit all brings back a fun sense of nostalgia, and Peter David does a great job filling in the gaps the original story never had the space to tell. I cant imagine newer readers enjoying this much, given how confusing it would be with whats happening in the Venom title, but if you have even a cursory memory the symbiote saga from the late 80s, check this book out!

This book is a great way to jump back into Marvel post War Of The Realms, and Jason Aaron continues to show how well he knows and loves the Thor-Verse. Valkyrie manages to straddle the line between funny and serious- having the god like Valkyrie take down campy villains on rollerblades is a fun way to introduce us to the new status quo. It would have been easy to let this book slide into dense melodrama, but Jason Aaron and Al Ewing manage to make Jane Foster compelling in a different way than weve ever seen her before. A lot of plot conveniences happen this issue, but Im more than okay with them at this point because the rest of the story is so well done. Excited to see where it goes from here.

This issue moves FAST. There's enough things happening that it never becomes a boring slog fest, especially as we see Jane coming to grips with the duty of being the Valkyrie and how sometimes sacrifice is necessary for her new role. Some of the interior monologuing falls a bit flat, but the art is fantastic and my word Bullseye looks as creepy and psychotic as I've ever seen him. The ending takes you completely by surprise, and while this series so far isn't a home run, i'm still intrigued to see where we go from here.

This book up until now couldn't decide whether it wanted to be a serious Thor-esque book with all the pomp and pageantry or a funny book that doesn't take itself too seriously. This issue goes full out funny - and picks up because of it.

While this book started a bit average, it really reached a satisfying conclusion as the convenient "All Weapon" is nullified I'm the climactic fight, and it's always nice to see the hero have to use their brain and not their fists to beat the bad guy. The Art is superb, very detailed, and great colours and separations. It's nice to see Jane both get some respect from an A list hero, and make a pretty significant enemy with Mephisto. For the first time with this book I'm eager to see where the next issue takes us.

What a concept- rounding up superhero doctors to make a house call to heal death? Death has always had a literal presence in the Marvel Universe, so I dont really understand (maybe because I am a big dummy, though) why Death didnt just come to our realm and ask for help? Apparently, death being sick can affect the entire universe? I get that there should be some stakes but were TOLD this, rather than shown, and to me, it just doesnt seem as big as they want to make it" part of the reason the last arc finished so strong is because the stakes were very personal, and this arc starts with the wearying trope of insisting that the next arc WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING FOREVER! The art is great, especially the creepy skeletons in Deaths realm, and the last page looks COOL AS! Hopefully, this arc will finish stronger than it started.

On the planet Oorga, we catch up with Yondu stealing fuel. Thats a big no-no, and hes chased back to his ship, but not before its sails are damaged by blasters. Apparently, he thought to get the purchase protection extended warranty, because Yondu sets off, stopping to give his old Ravagers teammate Kraglin a lift. Bad news: Kraglin is dead. Good news: the Macguffin…err, Heralds Urn is just lying there. Future Yondu is awakened and travels back to show present Yondu the way.

This is a quick read. Very little happens, and what does happen is completely telegraphed and contrived. What will happen to Present Yondu and how will it all work out with future Yondu? I don't know and frankly I'm not all that interested to find out. The art is muddy and frequently indistinct, with backgrounds either too busy or blank. It hasn't been announced as such, but it's almost certainly going to be an unannounced mini series.

Well, here we are again. This is basically the same issue as #2 " what should be a fun romp through time and space on a chase caper is just a boring sludge where nothing matters and what does happen is telegraphed and relies on contrived storytelling and artificial constraints.