It's a very silly premise, but the creators embrace it with all the heart required to make it fun.

I'm afraid this is the issue that made up my mind: Iban Coello is my unfavorite regular FF artist. The expressions are too exaggerated, the action is too frantic, and WHERE DID BEN'S NECK GO? But I recognize this is mainly a subjective issue; Mr. Coello's work is impeccably polished.

I'm rating this next door to great, and that splendid final scene twist has given me high hopes for the rest of the arc.
more

The pace feels a little decompressed. It's hardly a mortal sin when creators this talented work this hard to make every short step entertaining. And it won't even be noticeable if you're reading this volume in a trade; I bet this issue will go down like an oyster when it becomes a chapter in a larger work.

I might be a slow learner: I just now noticed that after developing the "Trinity of Ashes" as the big bads over years of Dr. Strange, Jed MacKay dropped the "Ashen Combine" on the Avengers as soon as he took over that title. I hope it's not just a coincidence or self-plagiarism; a link between the two groups would be terrific.
more

The "Jonathan Hickman" brand is so strong that Mr. Hickman can create a Dr. Strange ripoff, pitch it to the people who OWN Dr. Strange, and then watch them happily integrate it into their main continuity.

Snark aside, it's a very entertaining, very well-crafted comic. I'm old and well-read enough to see the narrative tricks, but not so bitter that I don't enjoy reading them.

There's nothing wrong with the words or the art--except that both the author and artist have demonstrated the ability to do better. There's not much character development, but the plot develops with a vengeance. This isn't a climactic chapter by itself, but it piles up twists and ideas that sharpen my anticipation for the climax to a razor's edge.

It's a very fun read despite my nitpicking.
more

It's a standard complement of plot development, buoyed along with sharp writing, pretty art, and a requisite serving of Deadpool comic relief. Where this issue climbs toward greatness is in effectively foreshadowing its big final development. It's a real achievement in tension-building.

Plenty is going on here, and it's all illustrated in gorgeous detail. This is a rewarding book, and it gets more rewarding the slower and more carefully you read it. I worry that some of its complexity could be due to confusing writing, though. But I wouldn't call the prose bad by any means; there are some absolutely beautiful lines.

It's not just "the Spider-Book that stars a kid;" it's "the Spider-Book that's written for kids." Which is a pretty good thing, actually. It puts Dan Slott's talents to work in a lane that doesn't threaten to overshadow the main Spider-Books (whatever your opinion on those happens to be).

Kids will appreciate the corny jokes and earnest characterization. If grown-ups find it a bit simplistic and familiar, there are still fun guest stars and excellent art to appreciate.

My rating dips a little because the backup strip is a distinct step down in both art and content.
more

Poor Normie is just drowning in symbiote-based tragedy, and I'm still deeply invested in finding out what happens to him.

I'm just not as engaged with the storytelling as I am with the story. The art hasn't won me over, despite its polish, and now there are some distinct problems (mainly stilted dialogue) in the prose, too. Though I freely admit my problems are subjective, they still keep me from tipping my rating over into "good comics" territory.
more

On the one hand, I'm pleased with all the action-oriented plot development and the solid serving of Phil Noto art.

On the other hand, I actually liked Rasputin IV more before this issue's blatant shilling for her.

In the last act, the villain's dumb mathemagical ideas just don't have the heft to make this feel as dramatic as the author wants it to be. The result is a slog of a finale that feels even longer than it is. Plus, the dialogue starts to break down: None of the characters sound particularly realistic or distinctive. The art's good, at least.

Seeing Elsa Bloodstone thrust into such a mediocre story puts a sadness on me.

Sam, T'Challa, and the City give this issue a nice organizing spine, just what the story needed. The art's pretty good (although something's off about Sam's head, right?), and there's some staggeringly good dialogue in the script.

Overall, this is a nice rallying cry that reignites my enthusiasm for the arc just when I needed it to.

The author goes full blast on plot, and the results are engrossing. Plenty of cool twists and intriguing developments, all smoothly delivered with sharp art and a good pace. It doesn't quite break through to greatness, but it's consistently good--no weak points.

Once again, twining this title with X-Men allows Gerry Duggan to take a mulligan on a previous scene, and once again, the later version is better. Marvel needs to pay him more so he has time to burn through a few more drafts without committing them to print.
more

This is an exciting, intriguing story, and it looks gorgeous. It has an appealing and authentic take on Ms. Marvel, and it's easy to care about her struggles.

But.

This feels like a good comic that happens to star Ms. Marvel, rather than a good Ms. Marvel comic. Does that make sense? It's woven tightly into the bigger X-Story; it doesn't stand on its own feet the way virtually all previous Ms. Marvel volumes did.

That's no deal-breaker, particularly not to a Marvel Unlimited nerd like me who's reading everything anyway.

But what we all really hunger for is a good Ms. Marvel comic, and this isn't quite that.
more

The story beats are exquisite. But…there are really just two of them, which is slightly disappointing. Only slightly, though. The words and art make an epic feast out of these two courses and keep me fully engaged with the ongoing story.

We finally slow down to chart the course to the next plot point. It's still stylish as all get out, but I'm slightly disappointed by the dearth of substance underneath. The casual disposal of the last issue's cliffhanger was a bit of a letdown, and the subsequent developments didn't quite haul me back to my previous level of engagement.

Adana is shaping up so much like the Mother of Horrors in The Incredible Hulk that I think a crossover or at least a nod is required.
more

Eu amei a forma que a Louise retrata que jean só amar somente o scott e não o logan, a forma que jean desmotrar ter empatia por logan separar de romance por empatia

It's a good story, told with good words and nigh-great art. I appreciate the double fakeout cover: "Oh, it ISN'T going to be this, except, oh dang, it IS!"

I feel like this is a contrast to issue #1. Where the story for that issue felt a little too small for the pages allotted, this one feels a little too big. The climax would hit harder with just a few more pages to breathe.

It's still a very good read, though. And I continue to appreciate the way this series folds "What If…?" content into real continuity.
more

A bit of the human dialogue is clumsy, and the visual storytelling breaks down once or twice. Those nitpicks aside, though, this is a charming, rollicking adventure with a rare perspective. The previous issue's pacing problems are resoundingly solved. This is thoroughly satisfying and definitely a good comic.

Plus: Bats the Ghost Dog, hooray! A surprising and entirely welcome addition to the squad.
more

The marketing and the final page are equally emphatic about this series being "a beginning," but it sure curls up on itself like a timey-wimey Möbius strip. Character X grows up to be Character Y, who returns to the past to set the plot in motion.

Of course, this reading is merely implied, never definitively stated. And it's Jonathan Hickman doing the implying, so the odds are good that the likeliest explanation is wrong--or at least twisted.

Strategic thoughts aside, this puzzle box of a series never really connected with me. There's a wicked intelligence in the ideas, and the art is scrupulously detailed to the end. It just never gelled into a must-read.
more

This issue's packed with powerful ideas, but the pace gets too fast again, blurring them together and undercutting their potential impact on the reader. There are a few moments where the prose or the art aspire to elevate the material, but they're relatively rare, and it's even rarer that they overlap.

I think this is a fundamentally sound plot, but the storytelling used to convey it is hugely improvable. It's not truly BAD, just underwhelming.

The cliches in the dialogue and the cliches in the narration constantly tripping each other up is what rustles my jimmies the most.

An intense focus on plot development, a meaty action scene, and an active role for Naina (at last!)--these factors combine to make this a decent, average comic. But no more than that. There are still a lot of loose ends, and the storytelling (words and art) isn't all that memorable.

Gah! Contractions! Human. People. Use. CONTRACTIONS!

That nitpick aside, I liked this issue more than the last. Real plot development makes the story more engaging. The narration works a little better with the action and the dialogue. The art is decent and (mostly) clear. Best of all, the thematic ties between prophecy, action, and foreshadowing--all the talk of walls and barriers--suggest the author has a grand plan for the story as a whole.
more

The one slim silver lining here is that there are two nice character beats (between Scott and Carol) that nod to last week's X-Men Annual.

This is a stunning crossroads where every last plot thread the authors have laid down in this volume ties together. The result is stylized and stylish, clear and bittersweet.

Groot's fate by itself wouldn't make for a great comic. But when combined with achingly earnest insights into each of his teammates (and some excellent symbolic art), it rises to greatness.

I have extra kudos for the authors because they make a surprising number of continuity links to other Guardians stories--even Dan Abnett's recent Groot retro-series.
more

I had a blast reading this. The story's clear and intriguing, the art's dynamic and sharp, and the dialogue is simply bursting with wit and cleverness.

Still, I rate it a little shy of greatness. Mainly because I know a large part of my love for the script is my subjective simpatico-ness with Si Spurrier. And also I think that though they're earnest, Nightcrawler's psychological woes aren't all that novel.
more