3.26 (756) Fantastic Four vol 1 #536 ... #FF ...

[This is posted on 1st Dec 2017]

FF may have once upon a time been the world's greatest and heralded in a new age for comics but somehow for some odd reason the sales have never been that great. Inspite of the many relaunches ... and especially what happens now that Marvel even pull it off their publishing schedules ... we believe Marvel should actually invite writers to pitch their storylines and from them source and recruit and they will continue to have a hit on their hands because honestly, the characters have so much to offer from family issues, to kids, to super powers, to sci-fi, to adventures!

In this issue, we continue crossover from one of Marvel's yearly mega events. And here Mr Fantastic is a bit troubled hence his mind was not focus when Sue aka his wife the Invisible Woman asks what is going on because Reed has just come back from his Illuminati meeting where Stark has shared what is to come in the registration act ... this is the one that also leads to the first Civil War where Sue stands apart from Reed ... but at this point they are still together

However, the primary thrust of this story is about an object crashing to earth a while back and the government has cordoned off the area to study it. They wanted to keep it hush hush until a barrage of doombots come to attack. Seeing no choice they called for the FF only by the time the FF came and understood what is going on, they were a wee bit too late because potentially it wasn't just doombots and of course as the cover so clearly shares, the object is the hammer of Thor!

Ratings: 6/10

3.25 (755) WILDC.A.T.S vol 1 #5 ... #JimLee ...

[This is reviewed on 1st Dec 2017]

Finally we take a break from our many, many, many Marvel reviews and jumped into early Image back when comics glorified the artform and take no prisoners thanks for folks like Lee and Silvestri and in this the fifth issue is the opening arc for crossover with Marc Silvestri's Cyberforce

All you need to know is that WILDCats are basically a group of superhumans who are predominantly half breed between humans and an ancient alien race. Their primary opposition is another alien race that is hell bent on domination and that's it

As for Cyberforce, this deals more with humans and mutants who were captured by a company called Cyberdata and put implants to enhance their physical attributes. In addition, for those unwilling, they will be mind controlled like puppets using yet another implant. So our friends in Cyberforce managed to get away and stayed together to combat the evil that is/ was their former masters

In this arc, someone (NO SPOILER) or something has somehow managed to get the two teams' wires crossed ... and deliberately so as to get them to go against each other. For what reason and why is what we will need to keep on buying the next two issues of the Cats and the Force to get the whole story and honestly it is worth the buy just for the sheer beauty of the artwork where both artists give their all and then some.

Chockful of details and awesome colouring ... and if we have to choose a winner, we would go with Lee over Silvestri even though we collected every single issue of the Force as it comes out  more so than with the Cats

Ratings: 8/10

754. Bloodshot 2012 #2 ... #Valiant ... #Nano

[This is posted on 2nd Dec 2017]

Honestly, we have just checked and found that we started posting this blog in 2013 and we are technically in our fifth year now! Whoopty doo! So while we have experimented with the year as volume 1, 2 and 3; we think it makes more sense to make the entire review using the original numbering and hence the testing every now and then to revert to original. Kinda like Marvel comics, eh? Hahahaha

And now we touched back on Valiant

For those not in the know, when Valiant was launched in its original run, while it is a comic, the characters within are definitely not your typical superheroes. In fact, we are inclined to think of them as stories but told using graphics. Case in point: Bloodshot is a chap with great skills who somehow got nanites injected into his blood making him this pale looking chap with  blank like eyes and a red splotch on his chest. He has tremendous healing abilities as a result of the nanites and on top of that can do lots of other stuff. At no time does he suit up in spandex and he goes out on missions like super spy or super commando. See?

So in this relaunch, in issue 2, we continue where the tale left off as we are given an origin of sorts for Bloodshot.

Our man Bloodshot wakes up tied down in a plane while his mind keeps on seeing pieces of potentially his past and some ghostly images keep talking to him. Throughout the issue he is not sure if these are his memories or real ghosts or the nanites in his blood but he learnt the hardway or rather everyone else learnt the hardway that a confused Bloodshot is a dangerous man as he broke away from all that was keeping him down, literally don't give a fuck to the bullets and killed every single soldier onboard the plane bringing it crashing down

While on other fronts, we see as usual scientists and other high-ups going about their shady business with experiments and potentially other more grisly or deadlier models that we know are just going to get released into the wilds, so to speak

By the end of the book, all you will know is that it reads very well, drawing the casual reader into its unwinding mystery and with every detail they divulge, more seems to be coming forth thus making us want to continue to issue three. The only sad bit is with the state of the comics industry most are reading online or TPB. So hope Bloodshot can garner good support

And as for the art? Damn! Awesome!

Ratings: 7/10

753. Bone #1 ... #Bone ...

[This is reviewed on 2nd Dec 2017]

This is the book that made us understand that black and white comics that use cartoony characters that when done right can make a riveting read (before we stumble across other stuff like Walking Dead and Chew) ...

Basically the tale opens with no time wasted for back story as we see the Bone cousins from Boneville out of breath running away from the townspeople and from the dialogue captions, we learnt that Phoney Bone (guy wearing star on his shirt) is the richest man in Boneville owing to his many schemes while Smiley Bone (tall wearing vest and always smoking) is the easy going one of the trio who can at times be brave or wise but never appears so. And then there is our protagonist the naked Bone called Fone (for no apparent reason)

So while they are stuck on a mountaintop, the areas oddness began to assail them first with a swarm of locusts (Phoney even tried to stick his tongue out) that totally blanketed them until Fone found himself running on air, literally and tumbled down into the valley

Thus begins his trek to find his cousins and find a way out of wherever it is he has stumbled into relying only on a grotty map that Smiley found earlier and hoping that the other two are on the same trek direction as him

Characters he came across in this first issue that will be back in subsequent issues include tiny Ted, a leaf insect kid ... the Red Dragon ... and the clumsy supposedly nasty but comical rat creatures

The panels are definitely fluidly drawn and yet there is so many hidden gems and what - not. Author Smith has certainly spent a lot of time thinking about the story, the backstory of each of his characters and painstakingly create a landscape totally unique - love the arrival of winter!

Ratings: 9/10

752. Wolverine: Weapon X #3 ... #Wolverine ... #Mutant ... #Marvel ... #RonGarney ...

[This is reviewed on 3rd Dec 2017]

It continues the saga of a Black Ops squad that are blessed with endurance, healing factor and laser claws to simulate Wolverine's claws and this issue shows the growing depths as Wolverine investigates what the hell is going on by setting up his own strategies.

So we see the CEO of the company whose stocks are skyrocketing while an investigative reporter is trying to get the dirt out to the public and get him hauled up to the senate committee for a hearing knowing potentially also if the senate votes to support him and he can twist his way out of whatever she throws at him

On the sidelines, while Wolverine is out there doing what he does best and fighting off (as the cover indicates) a gaggle of baddies, we see his once in a while popping up friend Maverick assisting him in the covert part providing him with information and what-not. They even have an agent (ex of Maverick) assisting them ... she is currently an agent of Hammer (at this point in Marvel's history, SHIELD is gone replaced by Hammer, an agency run by Norman Osborn - yes we know how ludicrous that sounds especially since he is a proven psycho and the ex Green Goblin but what the heck, it is comics) ...

So is there enough fighting? Yes

Is it more of the same with variations in the old Weapon X storyline? Unfortunately yes

And while the artwork is adequate because it is from an old hand like Garney, unfortunately Garney's work is workman like with no splash and hence ... boring ... sigh!

Ratings: 5/10

751. Ms Marvel vol 2 #8 ... #Ms Marvel ... #CaptainMarvel ...

[This review is posted on 3rd Dec 2017]

This particular series revolves around Carol Danvers, blond and ex-military and ex-security chief and whatever else. Not the current Marvel, Kamala Khan with her weird skin colouring and abilities that defies believe that she should be called Ms Marvel. Heck if she wanted a name with Marvel it should be something cheesy like Marvel Girl (since Jean is not around to use it) or Marvel Lass hahahaha!

Anyway, during this particular reincarnation of the series, we see Carol siding with Iron Man and the government for the initial duration of the Civil War (Superheroes Registration Act). And here, she and Wonder Man and a team of SHIELD agents are going to take down Spider-Woman ... who was once a friend of Wonder Man in other Avengers' title and also a friend of Carol's. Shows how nice both Simon and Carol are, eh?

The highlight of this entire issue is the slugfest between the three of them where Spider gives as  good as she gets but obviously it was never going to be enough as she is up against so many others while at home with her family

The emotional bit has to do with the new Spider girl called Anya aka Arachnid we think her name is. She is like a super hero in training and tailing them and shocked to see the lengths to which her idol Carol would go to to harm a woman in front of her daughter and grandparents! And she went home crying and confused and this ... more than anything else is the turning point for Carol as it began to sow seeds of doubt into her mind that what she is doing may not be the best or right thing anymore regardless of what the current law states ...

Good art, good story, good pacing, good superhero action!

Ratings: 7/10

3.30 (750) West Coast Avengers Ltd Series #3 and 4 ... #Avengers

[This is posted on 27th Nov 2017]

We celebrate our 750th review by reviewing one of the most entertaining limited series we have ever read which is WCA during its inception. This series basically takes off from the main Avengers series when the Vision sends Hawkeye to the West Coast with his new bride, Mockingbird to set up new branch for the Avengers as apparently there are too many villains and for Hawk, this is a great opportunity. Of course later on in the main Avengers' series, we see that it is because of the Vision wanting to control the world!!! Hahaha!!!

Anyway, after a great opening two issues where we see Hawkeye reviewing potential candidates and shortlisting and recruit Tigra, Iron Man (Rhodes not Tony) and Wonder Man, the first villain they encountered was someone new called the blank

SPOILER ALERT

And in this series we finally found out that the blank is part of the henchmen for Graviton who is back and power mad. He intends to rule the entire West Coast crimelord (geez is that all hahaha). At least he scaled down his ambition. But to do so to get everyone to respect him, he has to show his powers and boy did he do a great job

Highlights include:

Shroud - guest stars and was sent hurtling out to see nearly killing him

Wonder Man - pinned to the bottom of the pool and it is a good thing he doesn't need to breath. If not, he would be dead (once more)

Obviously as there is 102 issues of the ongoing to come you can all imagine that the Whackos won, right? But the artwork is great, the action scenes fluid and lots of character development with the end a BBQ a new tradition from Hawkeye that we get to see later on in subsequent issues as well which is nice

Ratings: 8/10

749. Dazzler #1 ... #Mutant ...

[This is reviewed on 5th Dec 2017]

There must have genuinely high hopes when Marvel launched this title. Look at the cover and the amount they must have spent to get that painted effect going on. The story is written by a younger Tom deFalco with art by JRJR before he got to his current signature style and the cover unashamedly plugged all the guest stars that will be featuring from Spider-man to X-Men and Avengers with forthcoming villainess Enchantress (Thor). So if this book doesn't sell well, something is seriously wrong, right?

Artwise for the interior as a product of its time, it is okay and acceptable although I prefer JRJR when he hit the Uncanny X-Men or even when he was doing first round of Iron Man

And in terms of storyline, it is again adequate as it actually spends time laying down the background of how Dazzler came to be where she is i.e. she was a well brought up girl with a lawyer for a dad whose mom is not around and she was constantly in sad state or should we say depression? Hehehe

And her one love is singing ... so while performing one fine day, she got whacked by mutanthood and her powers blossomed blinding many people ... so from confusion to terrified to scared is how she developed

The one weak thing here is the way the scene jumps from current to flash back and that there is no difference in art or colour style so if you are to flip through casually it can be quite confusing

As for the gaggle of guest stars, well basically we see Dazzler going for audition to be a star of a new club and all her friends who are super heroes are keen to go support from Spider-Man to the X-Men and as for the Avengers, it is because of the Beast. How does the Enchantress get into the mix? She has her own plans to do something nasty and as part of that, she actually went to audition and lost to Dazzler at the same event. Hence you know in the next issue there is going to be the usual fisticuffs which ... means ... that this issue the only super powers we see is the opening act where Dazzler is fighting against thugs ... we know, we know ...

Ratings: 6/10

3.18 (748) Fantastic Four vol 1 #554 ... #FF ... #BryanHitch ...

[This is posted on 1st Dec 2017]

The main highlight of this issue is artist Bryan Hitch who had just finished a huge super successful run on Ultimates vol 1 and 2 and while his work may be late and the covers less than inspiring, the interiors are mind-blowingly good that everyone is willing to wait and apparently that is the main reason why anticipation was running high when he and writer Millar came onboard the FF. That's probably why there was a huge print run and thus back issue prices are slow to increase which is good for folks like us who buy them from the discount bins hehehe!

So did the issue have spectacular art? Yes

Is the issue enjoyable? A bit harder to say because Millar used this to start off many plotlines simultaneously hence while there is no earth shattering crises but we get to see many brewing and the cover kinda spoiled everything anyway

Who is Mrs Fantastic? Basically we get to see Reed's other love prior to Susan who is a genius as well and hot and an adventurer to boot. Suffice to say Sue has nothing to worry because his ex has also got herself another man already

Susan's new team is basically Susan going out to the superhuman committee to meet some of the other ladies and trying to see if she can organize a group to do works together not so much superheroic save the world but more awareness and charity (we do not like that word sorry) stuff

And as the cover indicates, the entire family is back and the problem is going to start soon thanks to Reed's ex. So seatbelts people because with the next issue, it's going to BURN

Ratings: 6/10