7.0

Comics Bulletin - Dave Wallace Jan 24, 2005

I understand that Golden Age was originally poised to be a four-issue arc but was extended to five, whether to serve Bendis story needs or to bulk the story up to become worthy of a TPB in its own right. The weak cliffhanger of this issue which sets up a situation that readers have already seen played out in earlier issues certainly suggests that Marvel may have had more of a say in this than the writer, as the book is simply not structured or paced as well as Bendis work usually is, feeling very much like a padded fill-in issue to take us up to the finale next month. Such an approach risks losing the momentum of what has been a cracking story up until now, but has really been slowed in its tracks by this issue, and the upshot is a frustrating read which lacks any real focus and feels a little piecemeal - but is still put together with a quality and visual appeal which is impossible to deny. Fans will still enjoy it, but its certainly not the best example of the current run. Read Full Review
6.0

Comics Bulletin - Jason Cornwell Feb 3, 2005

Alex Maleev continue to turn in some lovely work on this arc, as he shifts his style to suite the different eras, as how can on not love the battle with Doctor Octopus, as he even takes the time to mimic the straightforward manner in which the fights were laid out when the White Tiger lays into the villain. Now most of this issue is set in the present day so his normal style makes up most of the issue, but this doesn't make the art any less impressive, as it does some lovely work on the scenes where Agent Del Toro uses her new abilities to make it to the roof of the church, and make the jump between buildings. There's also some nice subtle work on the scene where Bont manages to get the drop on the Gladiator, as that final panel does a great job of reflecting the intensity of the character's hatred. We also get another fine cover image, as it looks like one of those old movie posters. Read Full Review