CrazyforRAMU's Profile

All of the threads come together very nicely in this loud, fast combat climax. The art makes things look suitably epic, and the dialogue is natural, with plenty of jokes along the way. What elevates this to greatness are the moments of deep empathy woven into the action, each highlighted by wickedly sharp, memorable lines.

This issue pushes many different plotlines forward by little steps. It's not nearly as frustrating as it could be, thanks to strong art and some sharp dialogue (the lines are a little glitchy during the Penance fight, though).

The creators have managed to hold my attention on all of their story-threads, even the Ilongas, and I admire the amount of talent that requires.

The art is impressive in its details, clarity, and dynamism. The dialogue sounds natural all the way through. This issue's plot developments clarify a lot of what's already been hinted at about Matt's demon problems.

What impresses me most, though, is the pace of the script. It drew me smoothly through the story and helped me figure out She-Hulk's "twist" at exactly the right time: just a page or two before it broke all the way open. That's long enough to build anticipation, but not so early that I felt the narrative structure was in any way clumsy.
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Subjectively, I think I'd like this more if the author found a way to tell the story without supervillains. I contend that that would make the social commentary objectively sharper, too. It's still strongly written and beautifully drawn, but a sharp bite at specific social issues would serve better than gumming at a vague, dystopian supervillain dictatorship.

The world-building is imaginative, especially on the visual front. The social commentary isn't strident (perhaps even too subtle, in my opinion), but it seems carefully reasoned and up to date. The characterization is solid, making it easy to empathize with Steve Rogers in particular.

It's a good comic.

But it's not so good--yet--that I would feel guilty about dismissing it a s "DKR/Kingdom Come, but with the Avengers."
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This issue was a pleasantly surprising start for a self-contained story. There's humor and inventiveness in the dialogue and the plot development. It's illustrated with clean, strong art.

I appreciate that the creators are upfront about this series being a sideshow to the main Fall of X. They take their plot seriously enough to make it engaging, but their tongues are just far enough int o their cheeks to keep Cable's timey-wimey absurdity from getting pretentious.
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It's another slow and digressive installment, with Tony Stark's story hardly moving at all.

Fortunately, Forge's jokes and Riri's character development elevate things, along with some excellent art.

This title is too closely entangled with Invincible Iron Man, so it makes sense that they're suffering through similar doldrums this week.

I find this issue a little more frustrating, though it has Phil Noto art that I love. The plot is developed arbitrarily, relying on off-page developments and an abrupt callback to a one-shot from three years ago. That undercuts the impact of the trag ic twist ending. I LIKE the surprise; I just wish it hit a LOT harder.
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I really like the art. And I think the premise is sound. The script takes a lot of time and a lot of exposition to relay that premise, though, and it ends with the feeling that at least one act is missing.

As this series pivots towards its final act, I think it's exposing a core fault (beyond its questionably successful impersonation of MCU Yelena). Half the time, it wants to be a high-octane assassin-action story, leavened with standard quip-based comicbook humor. The other half of the time, it wants to deliver acerbic, progressive social commentary á la Last Week Tonight or the Daily Show.

When this issue pauses to talk about mentorship or corporate malfeasance or American healthcare, all of the tension drains out of the assassin story, and it doesn't have any to spare. And despite slowing the action down, the commentary doesn't get enough space to distinguish itself. These two flavors of content aren't strong enough to stand on their own, and they're too dissonant to support each other without much stronger storytelling.

On the plus side, though it could sometimes use a little more clarity, the art is still tickling my fancy. And my politics align closely enough with the author's that I'm enjoying the social critique, maybe more than I should.
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This issue doesn't go very far, and it goes at a fairly slow pace. But every step is delectable. It's still incredibly well-drawn, and the dialogue is loaded with memorable lines.

Jonathan Hickman apparently came to the same conclusion I did about what was missing from his new Ultimate universe: heart.

So he delivers it in spades, far better than I thought he (or maybe anyone) could.

This is a delight. The art is exquisite and scrupulously clear, the dialogue is sharp, and the characterization is world-class. Every aspect of this Peter Parker's life ex udes warmth and compassion, and the point of view remains webbed strongly to his shoulder (barring a single action scene, which doesn't spoil the effect).

Of course, this wouldn't be a Hickman joint without some mysteries. This initial issue raises plenty of questions without becoming too cryptic.
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I like Ig Guara, but they're just not Andrés Genolet. I like clever banter, but it's not (at least not in this case) real character or plot development. This is a terrific, Seinfeldian break in the action, but it is still a break.

When I say the banter isn't doing real character development, I may be overstating things. But, for example, this issue raises a HUGE question--why does it ta ke a suggestion from a friend to convince Jen to de-Hulk if being a Hulk sucks so much right now?--and then doesn't really address it.

Of course, that doesn't mean this volume can't get to it in the future!
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This issue is about getting from point A to point B along a rather dull, familiar route. On such a journey, the means of transportation need to be fast, comfortable, classy, and interesting. They are.

To put it in comic book terms, the material is generic, but the storytelling is top-notch.

I should earmark this as a good example of the distinction between story and storytell ing, and the paramount importance of quality in the latter item.
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In strict plot terms, this is a pretty simple story. But the creators hang stylish words and art on it, ensuring that it's quite the satisfying ride.

And there's a subtle but deeply engaging undercurrent of characterization as the two heroes hint about anger, guilt, and how you deal with them.

It's a decent bonus issue of MM: S-M (Miles teaming up with Misty Knight is one of my favorite parts of this volume), and I liked the ties to Gang War. It features a pretty cardboard-flat Venom, though. And even though I don't pay for comics by the issue (Marvel Unlimited), I feel the pain and injustice of having to pony up extra cash for a non-optional reprint.

As the shape of the plot emerges, the author starts to undermine what I felt was the greatest strength of the previous issue. He still introduces novel, intriguing, and unlikely new heroes.

But what's the point when Mr. Make Sentry Great Again is just going to murder them in a few pages?

I love the art; while it's not absolutely top-tier stuff, it's very clear, and it has a k nack for making mundane characters distinctive.

There's no doubt this series wears its progressive politics on its sleeve. Myself, I take that as a neutral factor (though I am in full agreement with said politics)--but I know some readers will take it as an irredeemable sin.
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I continue to relentlessly not get it. The script is aggressively uninterested in answering the kind of questions I ask about plots and characters. The art rustles almost all of my jimmies.

But I can't deny it's a story told with talent. And the Black Widow is outstanding, not just in herself, but in her interactions with the other characters.

I think the storytelling in this issue is pretty solid. The writing is fine in a tough-guy action-movie way, and the art does it one better in its commitment to gore.

The problem is, I'm not coming to the table with any enthusiasm for the idea of a psycho asshole brutally tormenting an antihero asshole in a way that's already an annual tradition. And this treatment of the subject, talen ted though it is, doesn't kindle any of that missing enthusiasm.

On a more objective note (I think), this story also doesn't do enough hand-holding for readers who may have skipped Victor LaValle's Sabretooth miniserieses. I did read them, and I liked them--but it's been a hot minute, and a panel or two reminding us why Sabretooth has a bunch of headless zombie-variants at his command would be appreciated.
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