Change #4

Not long ago, Image introduced us to 'Change'. Initially I was rather reserved about this 4 part series as issues 1-3 only seemed to skim the surface of what was already a rather confusing tale with what appeared to be a rather outlandish, introspective plot.

But finally, after 3 issues of umming and ahhhing, in #4 it all comes together. Kot understands that the complexities of the human condition are what causes us our greatest pain, and through this series we pretty much see closure in its deepest and most darkest form. What we are left with is a rather beautiful story of love, loss, forgiveness, acceptance and growth.

What Would Doom Do?
Bask in the glory at is 'Change', and re-read this title again, and again, and again, until you grow your own talking tumour. And if you need a break, then watch Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion. Same diff.

Lost Vegas #1: Lost in Translation?

Ocean's 11 in space - that was the initial thought when we first read the synopsis for McCann and Lee's heist-style title a few months back.
Whilst there are elements of truth to this comparison, wow do they deliver.

Meet Roland, a down on his luck gambler who owes a hell of a lot of money to a lot of the wrong sorts of people. When the debtors come to collect (love this scene), he's forced to work on Lost Vegas - the space casino - to pay of his debts. 5 year's later and true to loveable lowlife form, Roland has made his plans to get out. A very simple concept, but one that has you immediately looking forward to the next issue.

McCann and Lee are no stranger to working with each other, but they are by no means slipping back into old habits. This is a new venture for the both of them, as it is almost completely opposite to their previous work, and McCann in particular is so versatile. I'm currently reading this side-by-side with 'Mind The Gap', and McCann's style couldn't be anymore different. Lost Vegas definitely departs from the sci-fi-esque mystery, and presents a slightly more edgier and darker tone - that is beginning to reminds me of a noir Great Gatsby.


This really comes out in Ronald's character. From the beginning you get the sense that he'll be the low-life that we love. But there's something very dark and sinister about him. He only looks out for number one, and is willing to step on/over anyone to get what he want. This is the main reason why I absolutely LOVE Skottie Young's variant cover of #1 because his style really captures these darker qualities.

Skottie Young variant cover

When it come's artwork, Janet Lee has a very unique style that ready does root the story firmly in the comic domain, but at the same time there's something that's not completely right for me. The pages are dazzling to look at, especially with the help of colourist Chris Sotomayor, but I can't help feeling that it could be slightly grander. It's almost as if the vastness of the surroundings aren't being fully translated. The double page spreads are beautiful, but I don't feel as lost in them as I should - it doesn't necessarily feel like there are thousands of people on board as opposed to hundreds. BUT that said, Lee is great at making you feel like you are the overseer of this spectacle.  

So we guess it's all aboard Lost Vegas for some glitz, glamour, aliens and a squiggly ink thing.
We like

Ultra Sweet: Age Of Ultron #1

After dropping this not so little crazed nugget on us a while back, it's finally time for Marvel's newest major crossover arc - 'Age Of Ultron'. Somewhere in the near distant future, Hank Pym's 'child' / Vision's 'parent' of sorts has returned, and yes, it still hates humanity.

Ultron has already taken over a modern day NY and we the lucky readers get to see the aftermath. Hawkeye leads the charge (single handedly) to save an 'Avenger-napped' Spiderman from a good old fashioned good-for-nothing gang. 

Within these scenes, Bendis manages to capture the urgency and anger of Hawkeye in such few words, as well as the frenzy and boyish humour of the gang. But there's so much more we can say about Bendis but this would be like preaching to the converted (we may just stop reviewing anything written by him...), So let's shine some light on the real stars of the show - Bryan Hitch, Paul Neary and Paul Mounts. The pencils/inks and colours all comes together is such an amazing fashion. 

The combo of Hitch/Neary/Mounts for these double spreads are beyond amazing, and the panels are a frenzy of action and awesomeness. The way Hawkeye flits across these panels murdering, maiming and saving are far too much fun, and the panels featuring the Ultrons' arrivals are like earth shattering, fear inducing music to our ears - we're surprised more comics don't use this kind of effect....(see below)

By the end of the issue we see which heroes appear to be left in the war against Ultron, as well as what has become of a fallen leader (no spoilers here...kinda)

After all the hype, we are happy to say that the Age of Ultron is here, and even after putting the issue down we can still feel the tremors. It's definitely gonna be a while until this story really begins to unfold, but based on this #1 it's gonna be worth the wait.

What Would Doom Do?
Easy...Sumbit or Perish_

Gotta tattooed head say Number 13

When we last visited Number 13 we were drunk on mulled wine, and Santa had failed to deliver that renewed series of 'Generation Hope' that i'd been pining for...

So with a clearer head and final at peace with the loss of Cable Junior it was time to revisit Robert Love and David Walker and Robert Love's post-apocalyptic warzone. #3 marks the final instalment of this 4 part series, and with a heavy heart, I must admit that it falls a little flat.

Love sets up what could have been a brilliant story - nothing groundbreaking, but great nevertheless. An apocalyptic world where many of the humans population have been a affected by the mutant gene (Mutes), whilst a smaller proportion have remained immune (Munes). Cue the mad scientist with a passion for biology and an aversion to the different (sound familiar), and one little boy with a rare blood type that not only renders him immune to the mutation, but as has the ability to destroy it. Pull him apart and replace some bits with terminator style machinery, and you have one lean meant 13 killing machine. A 'bumb on the head' leaves 13 memoryless and wanting to save the beings he's been 'created' to kill.

Simple, but with Love/Dana Shukartsi's art and Heather Breckel's inks it all comes to life in a garishly stunning way. But sadly enough this this enough to carry it all the way through. The story pretty much ends how you'd expect (sorry no spoilers here), and to be honest its rather...ungratifying. I get the feeling that there could have been so much more, a few more twists and turns.

There isn't much of a chance to really attach yourself to a character, and I didn't really feel as if I was 'following' Number 13 on his journey. Whilst it's great as a moral compass for modern day life (love thy neighbour, accept each other etc), I felt very much on the outside of it.

Number 13 is definitely the beginnings of something pretty awesome, but just fails to reach it true potential...who knows...Love and Walker might end this madness and dazzle us with more issues to really bring out the story. They might even release a prequel...I have many of fingers and arms crossed.

Misery City: The most miserable fun I've ever had (in a good way)..

Having finally gotten around to my stack of new comics, courtesy of London Super Comic Convention and its focus on creators and comic books rather than hype and shiny things,  I'm pleased to announce I can begin to share my thoughts on them. I know I know, this is the moment you've all been dreaming of (yes I have been drinking, no I'm not drunk).

But lets not dwell on me and how much of a hero I am but rather lets look at Max Murray, on one hand the classic pulp detective, fedora pulled down low, trench coat wrapped around him to keep out the chill of the city, and on the other, a man stuck in Misery City with hell itself coming out of the ground and very possibly the only person capable of doing anything about it, even if it is rather begrudgingly. This is Misery City, it's pulp noir meets the supernatural, a twist of Sin City with a dash of the Maltese Falcone and a sprinkling of Lewis Carrol, and even this doesn't quite sum it up, it just is Misery City. And I love it, the grimy feel, the fear and hate held within the pages, the desperate wish to be elsewhere but the need to keep going, its everything I want from a book titled Misery City.

And the reason for all this? The creators, the honest to god geniuses behind it, K.I. Zachopoulos and Vassilis Gogtzilas (I've checked the spelling of their names three times and I'm still not sure it its right) who I had the honour of talking to at LSCC and one thing is obvious, their passion for this book, and I can feel it, it reaches out through the words and art. K.I. Zachopoulos is a literary phenomenon and one of the main reasons for the brilliance of this book, with the other being the artistic talent of Vassilis Gogtzilas but I'll get to that. The words that man can use, they way he plays with them, its a joy to read, you can feel the icy fingers of his words caressing your soul, drawing you in deeper until they are clawing at your mind but you cant look away. And its then you realise that you are Max Murray, and all because of K.I. Zachopoulos.

However, this is a comic, and the words are only half the story, with the other half being the art, art that fully expresses the misery and decay, the hopelessness of life, the power of cruelty and the rawness of the story,  the art of Vassilis Gogtzilas. And it fits right in, it takes those words and wraps them in misery that shoves them straight into the nerve centres of the brain. The harsh raw line worked, like the hacked limbs of the unlucky, and the decayed murky colour of the world a reflection of the souls that inhabit Misery City and the splashes of colour, the show the power of hate and pain that shine like a beacon within this world created by Vassilis Gogtzilas and K.I. Zachopoulos. Its the perfect pairing, and it truly is miserable, but utterly fantastic because of it. Read it.

If you don't you'll be haunted by midget killer clowns in your sleep, I promise you that.

The Marvel Space Race Pt 2: Guardians of the Galaxy #1

Following on from our review of Nova, we continue our intergalactic Marvel space race with Guardians of the Galaxy. With the upcoming movie and the need for Marvel NOW to take to the stars, where else is there to start (apart from with Nova of course...).

How any reboot's have been seen that rehash the same story of origin over and over again - Peter and that spider, Batman and that mugger. But when the hero isn't at the forefront of the public domain, this type of introductions is so gratifying.

Issue #1 recounts the history of Peter Quill aka Star Lord in 3 different time periods in the event's leading up to his birth and later his mantle as Star Lord. And true to Bendis form, the story is comprised of the usual character archetypes and enough dialogue to make the head spin. In other word this bad boy read like a good episode of One Tree Hill. There was mummy issues, daddy issues and a few kills here and there.

There are some great moments in this story - in particular the first meeting and later romance between Meredith Quill and J'son. It all happens so fast but you really don't question it. So rarely so we see this kind of true fleeting romance in the Marvel world, so any excuse to fall for it is welcomed. And penciller - McNiven, is definitely instrumental to this. His work is stunning. It's full of detail and expression, and McNiven is able to capture so many emotions throughout the panels. He really makes this story so easy on the eye despite all the dialogue. I really feel that the sum of his work is displayed in that beautiful spread of young Peter running away as his home is destroyed. And let's not forget colourist Justin Ponsor who really captures the varying moods and dynamics in this issue.

All in all, this issue doesn't come off a pre-requisite to the story, but it's definitely worth it for a reintroduction to Quill as well as some amazing artwork. There are so many shifting tones that really gave this issue pace and adventure, and it almost read's like the movie itself. We place the future of this title in Bendis' more than capable hands and this more than fitting song.

What Would Doom Do? Simple. Kick back and wait for the Nova crossovers to start kicking in, and then beggg that the GG swoop down into Avengers Arena issue and save the hell out of Cammi. True story.

The Marvel Space Race Pt 1: Nova #1

Fresh off the back of LSCC, overspending, and casual banter with Kieron (Karen) Gillen, we've found ourselves climbing on board for the Marvel NOW intergalactic space-race with the reboot of Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy.

First off I should say that I liked to keep my feet firmly on earth's 616 ground (and various alt universes) - Much of my galaxy corps learnings have come from my blogging partner in crime. So I must say that these #1's were the perfect introduction to the Marvel Galaxy.

In Loeb and McGuinness' Nova reboot, the mantle is about to be passed on from Richard Ryder to one of Marvel's newest recruits, 15 year old Sam Alexander (Avengers vs X-Men, Ultimate Spiderman - the cartoon!). For a Nova newbie (kinda), it's great to start a fresh. Loeb is able to fill you in on the NovaCorp history through a clever sequence of 'tales' from Sam's 'no-good' dad Jessie - a former wearer of the helmet. A rather amusing twist is that within a world of mutants, Sentential's, Civil Wars and all sorts - Sam doesn't believe his dad's stories!

What I really love about this issue is that Loeb is able to make such a far-fetched story seem so far-fetched but within a realistic setting. For once, we get to see a glimpse of 'real life' outside of the world of aliens and super-powered people - where the character's aren't focused on the next bad guy or their newest costume, but real life issues. Sam's a teenager facing typical teenage problems, as well as he added stresses of family life. But of course, that's already about to change.

If the story has one downfall then it's that we've seen it so many times before. But Loeb and McGuinness really make this work. McGuinness' work is perfect for this series. It's clean, action filled and just stunning to look at, and inker and colorist Dexter Vines and Marte Gracia really help to bring this all together.

Nova is already shaping up to be a great tale. It's so slick and already fun. It'll be great to see where they take this once Sam has established his powers. Even if it is just a story about growth, it's definitely one to make the SamAlex haterz give it read!

What Would Doom Do?
FIND OUT IN PART II!! (tomorrow)

Why we love Deadpool

Now we've written about Deadpool on 2 previous occasions (Here and of course Here), and now we've reached #5 we felt that it was time to revisit and re-evaluate.

The merc with the mouth is now 2/3's of the way through his task to dispose of the resurrected Presidents, and #5 see's him take his hunt intergalactic to gank Reagan.

There isn't really much to distinguish this issue from the others - Posehn and Duggan's dialogue is as fluid and witty as ever, and they do an awesome job of moving - what could easily be a typical Deadpool story - along. But what's really interesting is the developing 'relationship' between Wade and Preston. Through such an unlikely, seemingly un-moving pairing, Posehn and Duggan provide a rare 'magic moment' of Deadpool showing a bit of heart through his reaction to Preston's death at the hands of a George Washington.

Now that's one reason why we love Deadpool.


But if that wasn't enough, then Moore's lines and Staples' colours really seal the deal. We had our reservations at first - whilst it seems like the perfect style for the nature of Deadpool, it just seemed a bit 'much', but it's safe to say they now have our seal of approval (yes we are that important). Some of the panels are so garish and grotesque that it almost seems like you should be looking away. It's all blood and guts but somehow...just somehow they manage to make it look good...and dare we say it...fun? The closing page is hilariously sad, and even Preston's death makes you want to chuckle. But nothing beats the full page spread of Reagan's guts and jelly beans spewing through Zero G's.

So on what note...What Would Doom Do?
He'd show you a bad-ass picture of Reagan spewing his guts. If that ain't enough to get you to read this series, well then quite frankly you ain't good enough to be a future resurrected president.

Uncanny X-Men #1

Last year Marvel hinted at the potential return of the flagship X-Men series. Then they dropped the ultimate A-bomb when they finally released the teaser - revealing that Bendis and Bachalo would be reviving the series in the wake of AvX.

The story runs right off the back of All New X-Men (more of Bendis' handywork) as Cyclops and his new band of 'Uncanny X-Men' attempt a mutant revolution as they gather up all the new mutants that have begun to pop up all over the shop (thanks Phoenix). 

But as we already know from ANXM, not all is quite as it seems, as the power of the Phoenix appears to have left some of the mutants including Cyclops and Magneto almost powerless or with little control over. Where as Magick appears to have grown stronger (we can only guess how long that'll last!)

It makes perfect sense for Bendis to carry this story as it is so intertwined with ANXM, but at the same time the story is written in such a way that you don't need to read ANXM for it to make sense (although you definitely should!). 

Also having Bachalo back on board is perfect. I lovvee his work, and there's something about the way that he portrays Cyclops that gives him a really sinister edge. With these new costumes (which we are loving), he's really managed to strip away that 'boy next door' look from Scott, which is perfect considering recent events. And we think his portrayals or Emma and Magick are a stroke of genius! Bachalo makes it so clear who wields all the power here - and that's Magick. She's pretty much been upgraded to the front now that Emma is also lacking in the power department.

Although the only thing we would say about this issue is Magneto...WTF?!

This new series of Uncanny X-Men is shaping up to be a massive player in Marvel Now. We are certain that Bendis has a lot up his sleeve, and if the last page of #1 is anything to go by, this title is gonna keep us on our toes for quite some time.

VIVA LA LACK OF DOOM!

Wham Bam Thank you Mam - The FEARLESSS Defenders

Time for Marvel NOW's first all female alliance, and we must say, it's a rather interesting one.
Misty Knight and Valkyrie - Thor and Iron Fist's ex's of sorts - are teaming up to prevent an onslaught of Viking zombies.

As female characters who have spent little time in the Marvel spotlight, it's finally great to see them take centre stage in a new story that isn't too far fetched, well written and immediately illustrates who each character is without being bogged down in too much dialogue. Misty and Valkyrie are such an unlikely duo, but it seem's like one that will just work. Bunn has done a great job of setting a story for two great and dynamic female characters and we'd LOVE to see the damage they could do if they were teamed up with Deconnick's current Captain Marvel. O_O

With this issue you just know you're only skimming the surface, and there's something about it that feel's really old school and classic. The only tiny tiny issue we have is that we hope it really doesn't turn into a 'This is an all female team, therefore it requires all female nemesis'' - that would really spoil the good thing that Bunn is setting up here. So er, don't let us down ok?

In terms of Sliney's art work, there's something that we can't quite place with this, but it works - specially with Gandini's colours. It feels like such a mish-mash of curves and and placid colours, but this only serves to make Misty and Valkyrie really stand out. You can really move across the page quite easily, which is surprising considering out much is going on. It great to see that Sliney can really handle these action sequences, and we're really waiting for that epic double page spread. Pretty sure that'll come in no time.

All in all, The Fearless Defenders is a great first issue, and nice twist to the original Defenders that we're used to. Finally Misty and Valkyrie have their time to shine!

What would doom do?
After retreating into a Latverian den of fear at the sheer awesomeness of this new female duo, the plan is to stay put, yes stay up, waiting, reading and hoping that that he'll become a beautiful semi bionic woman or a Asgardian female Thor so he can be just as awesome.

Snapshot: The Simplest Fantastical Story Ever?

Well now, what do we have here, its a new comic of course!  Or to be precise it is the first issue of 'Snapshot' from Image, the first of four it seems, by way of Andy Diggle, and Jock, you may remember them from a little thing called 'The Losers'? I'll do my best to refrain from spoilers, but I am not always accountable for my words, so the risk is yours and since this is only the first issue at least I wont ruin the ending. I hope.

Now, onto what this comic is actually about and I should point out that I went in to this comic knowing nothing about what it was about except the cover, the name and the creators. I found it to be wonderfully refreshing, though that could just be my bias for comics speaking, especially since the main protagonist, no one special, just your slightly cooler than normal nerd who works in a comic book store and we spend a lot of the first issue there.

There is no magic, no super powers, no advanced technology, nothing out of the ordinary, or so it seems, certain plot elements point to something mysterious, but we don't know if this is super in nature, or just very clever misdirection and conspiracy  Personally I'm hoping for the latter. This is a down to earth story, at  least in comparison to many other works out there and its not hard to find your self imagining it actually happening. I like to think of this as a fictional work of a real world possibility  so far at least, things may take an increasingly wild turn.

Now for that other crucial aspect, and possibly more important(?) aspect of a comic book the art work. Now, I'll admit to being hesitant when I first picked it up due to its distinct lack of colour, and I am ashamed to admit that, I expect abuse to follow shortly. However, I can safely say that being a black and white comic has in no way dampened my enjoyment of it, if anything it has only pushed the book higher up in my opinion. Jock's work is excellent, clear and enticing, not too clean to be clinical, and not to messy to be confusing, its right in the middle. Also, regarding the lack of colour, I found it made the reading that much easy, not as much going on to distract the eye and mind from the meat of the book, the story and the characters. All of which allows for a far better reading experience.

So overall, an excellent comic with a lot of potential, and I've no doubt it will live up to it all. Both story and artwork go hand in hand to provide a unique experience that only Jock and Andy Diggle can provide.

What Would Doom Do?

After reading it twice and spending an hour or so making a mind map of ideas for how the story could be explained he would then lie in front of the TV on his front, legs waving in the air as he happily colours in the pages with his crayons, because even Doom likes to colour. And since he is evil he also gets to destroy some great artwork, damn that Doom. Though that is a good reason to buy two copies...

To Infinity and Beyond!

I was not looking forward to this series.

From the premise, it all seemed pretty "been there done that"...So what changed? This time we've got ourselves a nice twist, and we finally see the return of Marvel's Illuminati!

Cap, Iron Man, Black Panther, Black Bolt, Dr Strange, Mr Fantastic and Namor find themselves facing their toughest decision yet (well some of them), when an anomaly in an alternate earth, leads to alternative earths' gravitating towards each other causing an incursion, resulting in either the destruction of both worlds, or the sacrifice of only one earth (imaging throwing 2 eggs towards each other).

3 issues in and the team now have, Decided to use the Infinity Gems to restore the Infinity Gauntlet to stop the incursion by repelling the oncoming alt planet, Been joined by Hank McCoy - who has replaced Professor X after he posthumously recruited Hank to be his replacement (How? read and you'll find out), Enlisted Cap to be the wielder of the gauntlet, Repelled the alt earth (for now) - resulting in the destruction of the gauntlet (naughty Cap), Decided that they may need to make some tough calls - i.e. do all they can to make sure their world is saved over another's, Mind wiped Cap, Anddd they appear to have pissed of Galactus, Thanos and the Watcher (we'll see).
It's safe to say it's been pretty jammed packed, and as a result, whilst I like Hickman's work, this has made part of these issues very wordy. But that said, Hickman's depiction of Reed Richards is strong, bold, and very matter of fact. He's definitely the stand out character.

However, we feel the main star of this series so far is the colourist- Frank D'Armata. We're no stranger to his work (Look at Cable & X-Force!). D'Armata and Epting work great together, but D'Armata's colours really make this story what it is.
This is a very insular and quite a dark story in terms of mortality and getting your hands dirty, and this is reflected perfectly in the colours. The tones are dark and brooding - even the red's of Strange's cloak and Cap's shoe's aren't as vibrant and heroic as we're used to seeing. We're surrounded by blacks, greys and sepia, and even when they step through to the wall edge and see the oncoming danger, whilst the land looks calm, it's a stark bloody red. It really sets the scene, and it's almost as if you're not only an observer, but this insular feel makes it seem as if you're the silent watcher in the room.

Hickman's New Avengers definitely has a way to go to hit the top of our list, but it's definitely one to watch whilst your pining for your next hit of Marvel Now.

What Would Doom Do?
He woulda shattered these universes ages ago AND kept the Infinity Gauntlet looking brand spanking new...just sayin. READ.

It's UNCANNY!

We wanted to wait a while before we broached the topic of Uncanny Avengers, mainly for 3 reasons:

• We were pretty disenchanted by the events of Avengers VS X-Men
• The release dates have been in constant flux - we knew we'd need to be a few issues in before we could write a review
• Captain America is on my personal hit list. (TBC)

So, now we're 3 issues in - what do we know.

Following the events of AvX, Captain America want's to re-establish a new team of Avengers and has enlisted Alex Summers aka Havoc, to be the leader. In this arc we see the return of the Red Scull with a special new addition - the brain of Charles Xavier, so he's now free to spread his mutant hating madness to all.

So, what do we think.
Rick Remender has a good premise with Uncanny Avengers, but we don't feel like it's strong enough. With these first few issues it feels like we're playing catchy up and that each issue is a series of bullet points. There are a lot 'how's but no 'whys' and there seemed to be a massive gap between #2 and #3 that we had to double check that we hadn't missed and issue. But that said,  #3 is probably the strongest, and the main reason that we'll keep on reading. A majority of this issue is in 3rd person perspective - which we think fits this story really well. It definitely creates that extra sense of drama and tension that we feel that John Cassaday and Laura Martin aren't conveying as much as we'd hoped.

This is a pretty big issue, so we expected bigger things by way of the artwork for the action sequences. When we compare it to some of the other heavy hitters that we're seeing from Marvel NOW, like the work of Immonen and von Grawbadger's for All New X-Men, this just doesn't appear as bold or dramatic. That said, Thor's arrival is definitely a scene to be hold, and Cassaday seems to always's pull it out of the bag with the final pages.

So what do we say.

Uncanny Avengers has definitely peaked our interest and it's worth seeing what they go with this arc and what's to come for the latest X-men turned Avengers.

What would doom do?
It's definitely time to step down and let the Red Skull take the reigns with this one. If worst comes to worst, there's always a sepcial place for Doom in FF!!!

Motorcycles, guns and demons. We've been officially repossessed.

JM Ringuet's "graphich novel in 4 chapters" follows on the hot trail of Joe, Clay and Martha - 3 hitmen (and woman) for hire who specialise in demon exorcism. Think Supernatural meets Sons of Anarchy.

By possession we're not talking that whole demon child who's head can turn 360 degrees, no no, the possessed can be anyone - a friend, neighbor, shopkeeper, anyone who seems to have suddenly started acting weird. Someone who has suddenly gone from listening to Radiohead to Celine Dion, that kinda weird.

Within a few pages we already get a glimpse of our first possession/excorcism, and we can see that Ringuet isn't playing around. They demons are all kinds of big, mean, ugly and shameless (possessing a Priest goddamit!). We also get to see that our main characters know their stuff, and there's definitely more to them than meets the eye.

So why is this working for us so far:

1. 'Supernatural' supersized
   It's pretty much this, and then some. Who doesn't love a good demon slaying for a bit of extra dollar. And these demons are biiigg, like fill a double page spread big, and that's what we like to see!
2. So pretty...
   Definitely the highlight of the issue. Ringuet's colours are beautifl, flawless even. The tones are able to convey a whole firey hell vibe, but at the same time give off a really chilled out there should be fun in the sun kinda thing. 

But as we know, with great power comes great responsibility, and as a one man team, Ringuet has a lot to live up to...

All in all we're feeling pretty positive about this so...

What Would Doom Do
He'd could rate this bad boy in amulets and give it a holy 4! Or something like that.

Billy stole Teddys bling!!

And so the day finally arrived...the return of the Young Avengers.

The brain child of Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung has now been left in the more than capable hands of Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvin as Marvel high-tails it into the age of Marvel Now.

#1 reintroduces the YA (now 17+) dealing with life after the events of Children's Crusade - Kate is exploring her feminity and Teddy is cheating on Billy with superheroism. We're also re-introduced to Noh-Varr (Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways), Kid Loki - who is obviously up to no good and looking to dispose of Billy (why?!) and Miss America who seems bent on stopping him. And then the little surprise at the end in the form of Mrs Atlman

Now, if you've read any of our previous ramblings about YA, then you'll know that we're MASSIVE fans of the YA and as far as we're concerned, Heinberg and Cheung have a center place in the What Would Doom Do Hall of Fame, so there was always a bit of apprehension about this new line up.

So...what did we think? Well...there were a few things...

Teddy is minus ALOT of bling, Kate is all grown up, Billy gained some bling and more importantly became Billy CAPLAN (We always thought the K has a certain charm you know?).

But apart from that, it was an amazing first issue.

Gillen has always said from the very beginning that he's not looking to recreate Cheung and Heinberg's YA's. His YA's are no longer tweens, his are about being 18 and no longer aspiring to be part of the adult world but actually being in it. Already this issue definitely has a much older vibe and it actually feels like the YA aren't just kids anymore, and Gillen pretty much shows this from the very beginning with Kate.

Our only worry is if/how Gillen will part from the characteristics we've come to identify the previous characters with - Billy in particular. Not only has he become Billy Caplan, but we'd really hate to see his sarcastic wit evaporate with his tweenage years, but based on what Gillen is trying to achieve, this could easily and understandably be something that our fave Wiccan has grown out of.

To aid his revival of the YA's Gillen has teamed up with his self confessed partner in crime Jamie McKelvie, and it couldn't be a better match. Along with Matthew Wilson's colors, the pages are amazing. They've created an amazing youthful, cool and dare we say 'hip' vibe, especially with the opening pages. They pretty much read like music, and we really understand what Gillen means when he talks about creating a playlist for his new Young Avengers. One thing that we're really liking is that McKelvie's art definitely screams less action and more late night partying which is definitely what we'd be expecting from our 18 year old Avengers. 

Aliens, shape shifters, gods and sorcerers...we may be missing a little bit of speed and a super soldier, but I think we can forgive that for now.
What would doom do.
It's time to get over his hay days of Children's Crusade and realise that these young nippers are almost all grown up, and it all starts with this. Oh yeh...and he'd get the O'Malley variant.

I am not looking forward to Young Avengers...

No, not at all. And do you know why? Well I shall tell you. Its because of HIM, yes him, Kieron Gillen. That damned, cruel, beautiful, genius beast of a man. He has taken too much from me already. I have already given him all my love, and hope and joy, and he deserved it. Every measly scrap. Everything he touches seems to be gold, in my rose tinted eyes anyway. 

So why I hear you ask, am I not looking forward to Young Avengers? Because I fear it will be the death of me, or at least of all the joy and prettiness inside me that I have left, and trust me it's not much. It will destroy me, I have barely survived my previous encounters with the shattering beauty that is Gillen's work, (have you seen his work on Marvel NOW!'s Iron Man and he's taking him into Guardians of the Galaxy, I think I might weep.) but his genius, with Jamie McKelvie's artwork is just too much. I can't take it. Young Avengers will squeeze every last drop of goodness out of me, it will drain me completely and I will no longer be able to enjoy anything else. All because of Gillen.

For this reason I must stay away from Young Avengers, I must! Since if I don't, I will be ruined. And it will all be at the hands of Kieron Gillen. I think I finally understand how Bella felt. Now I must go blow my brains out since I once promised myself that if I ever made a Twilight reference I no longer deserve to live.

See what you have done Gillen, you have wrought both my destruction and a Twilight reference! 

Please don't ever change.

Hulk: Has the green behemoth actually changed?

Seeing that Marvel NOW is well and truly under way I thought I would take this chance to look back on some of my favourite characters and see whether they have really changed or if they just look like they have.

First up lets look at the Hulk, who, thanks in part to the Joss Whedon's masterpiece, is now more popular than ever.

In 1962 we were given the first ever issue of The Incredible Hulk, but who was he/it really? And how different is he from today's NOW version.

Well, first of he was grey, but that's just an aesthetic thing that while was a significant change when it happen isn't all that changing to the character in my opinion. No, the true aspect of the character was personal conflict, the scientist and man of reason Bruce Banner and the irrational destroyer the Hulk. Both at odds with one another, so much so that Banner takes it upon himself to rid the world of the Hulk and takes himself as far away from humanity as he can. Bruce dedicates himself to ridding the world, and himself, of the Hulk. While the Hulk fights against this, and everyone else. Especially those who come after him, whenever anyone tries to bring him in he usually attacks, he sees an enemy in everyone and refuses to join (for the most part).

So, we have two beings, both trying to rid themselves of the other and staying away from everyone, as they believe it to be the best for both themselves and others.

But, how have things changed, if at all?

Well, most notably the Hulk looks better, seems to have been working out. As for the character development and story, it has a changed, a lot. No longer is this a story of inner conflict and a man's quest to rid himself of his inner demons. Rather, Banner has excepted the Hulk and allows to him to destroy, but when needed, and in the right places. Both Banner and the Hulk have rejoined humanity, Hulk has even excepted joining forces to allow him to live in peace while also getting to smash. He just smashes what deserves to smashed now. And as for Banner, he now builds, he was always a genius, but he had let his need to destroy the Hulk take over his life, but now he has excepted that part of him he can use his mind to help improve life for everyone by using his most powerful aspect, his mind.

So, instead of two beings at odds with one another and the rest of the world we now have two beings that can work together with the rest of the world, to smash what would harm humanity and build that which can help them. A very different story from how it all began, and a better comic book for it.

What Would Doom Do? 

Nothing, it's the Hulk combined with one of the smartest men on the planet, Doom isn't an idiot, they can do anything they want. Doom will now take a nap.

Our Generation?: Gen¹³

Picking up from where Jim Lee and Brandon Choi left off, meet Wildstorm's next generation of Gen-active teens - superpowered humans as a result of the Gen-Factor.

Sooooo what the hell is Gen 13. Well sum it up in 3 digestible points:

Now fast forward to September 2002 and we meet the freshest batch of little Gen-actives; Ethan, Gwen, Hamza and Ja'Nelle, all with their own fun, fiery powers, and coming together to discover how and why they got these powers, and to become rulers of their own destiny.
It's all pretty standard 'New teen heroes 101' but with a nice spin on their powers, especially Ja'Nelle- whose gone from 5 ft nothing and pudgy, to a 7 ft Amazonian with telepathy. Very fun indeed.

Ale Garza's artwork is also a massive draw for us. We love his style, it's fun and vibrant, and very reminiscent of Georges Jeanty (Buffy Season 8), and Chris Claremont's writing is funny - laced with moral message, although at times a tad dated (although this works well with the dialogue between Ethan and his twin Dylan).

This series spanned across 2 years (#16 was released in 2004) and we've rested or curiosity at #6 (the end of the first arc 'September Song'), and we're very tempted to keep reading. The Gen¹³ legacy is a long one which has had cross overs in both the Marvel and DC universe. So it's nice to have a solid starting point with this re-booted team.

So it you're looking for some good old fashioned teen superhero fun, with twins, mysterious villains named Herod (similar to the baddie from Supernatural's season 1-2) and a stellar tag line of 'You Will Be Judged' then this is pretty much an interesting read for you. It's nice to juxtapose this to the teen hero teams that we see emerging now (but that's a wholllee different post)