669. New Mutants vol 1 #57 ... #newmutants ... #birdbrain ...

[This is reviewed and posted on 5 February 2018]

[Yes, we are going backwards and reposting a review. Hahahaha! But we are trying to ensure we have no breaks if possible but honestly, we have no idea if we are even able to do it but we will try the best we can, okay?]

Anyway, this issue is a continuing storyline of the New Mutants except the fact that this is the issue, that in our opinion, is the start of a downward slide in the life of this title, that will have a few points of uplift (like the crossover fall of the mutants and inferno) but other than that, there is nothing to stop until Rob Liefeld came onboard with his over-the-top super energetic artwork and the introduction of characters like Cable and team

At this time, we see the New Mutants letting Magneto finding out that they have rescued a creature from the zoo believing that he is a mutant of sorts. He however behaves more like a real bird (mutated) than a human (mutating into part bird). So while Magneto harrumphs all over the place, the mutants squabble amongst themselves on whether what they did is right including a short trip outside for burgers and learning how crazy the bird creature is

After a lot of unnecessary drama, Magneto agreed to give the creature a go but they will need to somehow learn more about him ...

And for us, the creature is nowhere near interesting to warrant our continuation ... in fact, there are many such throwaway characters in the comic verse ... o yeah at this time, Bret Blevins who does some decent art elsewhere came onboard and the art just deteriorated with very coarse line work and simplistic cartoony style where everyone's head is so much bigger than their body (sigh!)

Ratings: 4/10

2.303 (668) West Coast Avengers vol 1 ongoing #38 ... #Avengers ... #WCA ...

[Posted on 28th Nov 2017]

Hah this is actually reviewed almost 11 months down the line because .. we were kinda in a depression kind of funk ... or at least that's what the past two to four years felt like honestly but now we are trying to pick up the pieces of our lives and hence putting reviews back in place

So there was a time when comics publishers felt the need to keep up their end of the obligations in terms of books coming out. Hence they would commission stories as inventory to be slotted in when a particular team needs a break. This is so that your monthlies continue to come out as such. And this is one such book so for those who have been following this series, there is a bit of change in artist (not for the worse though) and Mock has longer hair ...

And this story is actually entertaining because during the quieter moments, the Avengers were called to come and investigate an issue ... and the villain du jour as the cover indicates has got something to do with rock music (hahahaha) and getting his abilities from demonic entities (we kid you not)

As it is a one-off story, it naturally ends with the villain being whupped and everyone going happily home while in truth the strain has started in the once peaceful lives of the Whackos as the truth of Mockingbird's deeds are becoming known and Hawkeye chose the Avengers above his bride! ASSHOLE!

Ratings: 5/10

667. X-Force vol 3 #23 ... #wolverine ...

[This is reviewed and posted on 21st Feb 2018 - more than a year later - we know, we know!]

This issue of X-Force is not for you to read if you are not a regular of the team or if you have not started on this particular storyline called Necrosha because it doesn't waste a panel in any flashback for the casual reader. We know this because we have neglected X-Force and the Marvel world for a bit but the Necrosha storyline is generally very entertaining. So it is worthwhile for you to track down past issues and get in on the ride

Here we see Wolfsbane already down but for a reason not from this storyline. Her then-boyfriend from Asgard, a wolfen prince brought her back to the X-world hoping to find a cure i.e. another mutant healer except that he is down for the count as well

While amidst all these, the dead mutants are rising en masse and preparing to assault the X-people's current home of Utopia under the leadership of Selene, Hellfire Black Queen and demi-goddess wannabe as well as a plethora of new and very deadly recruits

On other front, we see the Vanisher in supposedly one of his panic moods and also come to the X-world looking for the healer because the healer was supposed to have implanted a tumor within him to get him to calm down from his villainous urges and provide them with his service until such time Wolverine deems appropriate to cure him

So two significant things happen: one is the wolf prince begged Hela, Asgardian goddess of Death to come and do a deal ... and she says she cannot heal all or rather bring any back to life without a corresponding trade. However, as he found out that Rahne is with child and he has only 1 life i.e. his to offer, he decided to risk it all and ask her to bring back the healer

Secondly, we see the musclebound Warpath and some of the X members battling it out against the invading hordes only to be captured because they wanted a knife in his possession. What does this entail? Only future issues will tell us!

Rating: 7/10