Astonishing X-Men Annual: A Tribute to the North

Another year, another x-men annual, and this time it was all Northstar..or rather Kyle.

The happy couple are fresh from their wedding and ready for the honeymoon, but when do things ever go right for X-Men couples?

The issue see's Kyle coming to terms with what becoming a member of the X-men's extended family really means, as he questions his own ability to cope and whether or not he's just a liability to dear old Northstar.
But hey! this is an annual so there's happiness to be had, and after some arse kicking and words of wisdom from Wolverine, everything is A OK.

But for me this wasn't the real gem. I forgave the fact that this issue was ridiculously overpriced and short because of the Alpha Flight reprint.
Whilst the artwork  nearly blinded me as the cross hatches tried to devour my soul, the story itself - Northstar de-closeting - was pretty damn awesome.

This was some pretty bold messaging for a comic to be printing at that time, and I applaud it. I love the way that it doesn't dwell on the fact that Northstar is coming out, but more on the judgement and misconceptions about homosexuality as it almost attempts to re-educate.

What would doom do?
He'd fish out all the Latverian pennies he's been squirreling away for the winter months and grab this issue. If not to see Gambit's terrible bluff at a game of Bourre (what's that when it's at home?), then to read about a comics attempt to address a real issue and make a real difference. boom.

5 reasons why Joseph Gordon-Levitt should be Batman

Firstly, I want to point out this is all based on a lot of rumour, speculation and interview snippets. We don't really have anything certain, so try not to get too worked up now. But, in any case I've gone ahead and compiled a brief list of reasons why Joseph Gordon Levitt should be Batman.

1. Depending on when the Justice League film is set his age could fit the timeline, a Batman at the beginning of his mission. A fresh face rather than a grizzled warrior.

2. JGL is a great actor, and experienced at combining action with excellent dialogue and emotion which is what Batman is all about.

3. It may be easier for fans to see him as Batman since his role in the Dark Knight Rises, his appearance there makes it a slightly more logical leap to him becoming Batman (but not necessarily Bruce Wayne).

4. Seems to fit the bill for a billionaire playboy, but with an edge, something else to him. A tormented playboy trying to clean up his city. Though we don't know if this will be Bruce Wayne or possibly someone else, it could be taken in a completely different direction.

5. He makes a good counter balance to Henry Cavill's Superman - instead of just two muscle-bound stereotyped heroes we will have to polar opposites allowing for a much more interesting relationship between them.

So yeah, these are some of the reasons why Joseph Gordon Levitt could potentially, if cast, make a decent Batman. Care to share your opinion? Not that I'll read and/or care about it in any case.

5 reasons why Joseph Gordon-Levitt SHOULDN'T be Batman

Now, don't get me wrong, i'm a massive fan of Gordon-Levitt. I've followed his career since 3rd Rock From the Sun, right through to 10 Things I Hate About You, Mysterious Skin and 500 Days Of Summer. And whilst i'm ecstatic that he's finally getting the recognition he deserves and playing A-Mazing roles (Inception, Looper, The Dark Knight Rises!) I DON'T think he should be the next caped crusader in The Justice League

Why? I hear you squeal...Well...

1. Who the hell would play Robin?
   Whilst JGL is pure awesomeness and a great leading man, if i'm really honest, I still see him as the perfect Robin. Compared to Batmen of the past and present - Keaton, Bale and even Kilmer and Clooney, there's something about JGL that doesn't seem to pop out that makes me say "Holy smokes!" But when I think who would make the perfect sidekick, he's the first person that comes to mind. To be honest i'm still a bit surprised that he didn't end up being Dick Grayson in 'The Dark Knight Rises'...


2.  The Bat killed JGL
   One of my biggest pet peeves of Superhero films has been randomly throwing popular actors/actresses into the mix to boost the profile of the film. This has only killed the credibility of the actor AND the film in my opinion. Just look at Daredevil and Ben Affleck -what? when did that happen?! you ask...my point exactly, and Halle Berry with Storm, and lest we forget (although we try to) Catwoman - they are currently showing that as an afternoon film on ITV these days.
   JGL is amazeballs, but lets no throw him into the mix for the hell of it.


3. There are plenty more heroes in the sea...
   Yes JLA is gonna be a pretty big one, but who's to say it will be the biggest? There are plenty more heroes out there ripe for the picking, and right for JGL, so why should he limit himself to the Bat. With the state of superhero films/comics at the moment, there will  be an abundance of roles coming up. If he commits himself to Batman then how the hell can he be Hank Pym!


4. No more mister nice guy
   We've seen plenty of nicey nicey, hero type, moral JGL, it's about time we saw a darker side! And I vote that Batman isn't dark enough.


5. JGL is too good for Batman
   Been there, done that, and Bale and Keaton are reigning supreme. Let's leave it at that before we get dragged into a game of "who played the better Batman". Plus, everyone knows that Batman isn't even a big enough role for JGL...now Doom on the other hand....

A Short (very short) Introduction to the Valiant Universe

As part of my new quest to open my eyes to the wider world of comics I have know stumbled upon (thanks to Orbital Comics, of course) the Valiant universe that includes Shadowman, X-O Manowar, Archer and Armstrong, Bloodshot and Harbinger.

Yes, I realise that these comics have all had a long and rich history but I for one have only just discovered them from their new runs starting at issue #1, and thank god I did an would like to help any of you currently unaware to also find them. the Valiant universe provides us with a vast array of characters and storylines, so I think it's safe to say there is something for almost everyone here. And to help show you what there is I will now proceed to give you a very short and inaccurate summary of each title.

Archer and Armstrong #1: Fred Van Lente and Clayton Henry - a possibly immoral immortal and a naive mislead deadly youngster take on both religion and the 1% in a very violent manner.

Bloodshot #1: Duane Swierczynski, Manuel Garcia, Arturo Lozzi and Stefano Gaudiano - here we have the perfect killing machine, for all intents and purposes a man, a man for whom his unique nanite infused body allows for changes to his memories to make him fully committed and motivated for his next mission and will do anything to complete it.

Harbinger #1: Joshua Dysart, Khari Evans and Ian Hannin - an out-of-work guy  who has incredible power, but very little knowledge of them and a rather questionable moral compass, not to mention a rather shadowy plot surrounding him.

Shadowman #1: Justin Jordan and Patrick Zircher - the shadow itself has bonded with a human, and the result is both terrifying and awesome, a book full of darkness, mystery and violence.

X-O Manowar #1:  Robert Venditti, Cary Nord, Stefano Gaudiano - a warrior of the past thrown out into space and surrounded by aliens, fated for a sacred set of technologically advanced armour, what more do you need to know?













What Would Doom Do?
He'd add every one of these fine titles to his pull list and then spend the next week in a sweaty frantic frenzy trying to decided which is his favourite. Then give up and lay them around himself in a glorious circle of comic book beauty.

Beginning to fill in the gaps: Mind the Gap #6

Issue 6 has arrived and McCann has up'ed the tension and mystery to this classic 'who done' it comic thriller. The last time we saw our ethereal Elle, she was about to hop into the body of a cute lil 10 year old (not as creepy as it sounds)...and with that starts the new arc 'Wish You Were Here' and MORE MYSTERY!

This is such a complex idea, and McCann pulls it off perfectly. The story of Kate is pretty heartbreaking and cold all at once. Kate and Elle's stories overlap so well, and it leaves you wondering if in the end they will pretty much align. But hey...i'm more than keen to find out.

I love the way that McCann has addressed the ideas of death, the afterlife and bodily possession. This is such an unusual take on a thriller, but this is what makes it work so well.

What would Doom do?
He'd crank the tension on this bad boy up to 10, turn out the lights, whack out the popcorn and silently wait until next month for the next body hop.

Captain 'Whiz Bang' #7 in less than 200 words...

Carol 'Whiz Bang' Danvers is back in a new arc, and if grappling with one past Captain Marvel wasn't enough, she's now kickin' it with Captain Marvel number 2 - Monica Rambeau aka Photon!

I haven't seen Rambeau in a while now and she is looking awesome. I love what Deconnick is doing with this series, and i'm loving her choice of heroines so far. She seem's to be steering clear of the obvious and putting  some great super-heroines to the forefront. So uber brownie points to Deconnick.

Soy? what more can I say, he's back and amazing. Love what he's done with Rambeau, but especially loving the 'Little Mermaid'-esque scene of Danvers escaping the sharks and returning to the surface, only to be crippled by the bends. This scene goes from glamour to comedic justice within seconds, and Monica is at the helm of it all, with Danvers almost forced to bow down to her predecessors...
oh and did I forget to mention the sea living Transformer? Love it.

Marvel NOW! X-Men: Legacy #1 - WTF?! Hehehe, Awesome

Well, I have now got round to reading X-Men Legacy #1 and I believe the post title sums this one up completely, its pure craziness it's weird and fantastic. I went into this knowing nothing, except that Simon Spurrier is a great writer and he hasn't let me down. I'll admit I know very little about Charles Xavier's son so I didn't have any prior knowledge to bring to this book, whether that be good or bad but I still enjoyed it thoroughly.

I was able to just sit back and follow along on the wacky ride that Simon is running, and wacky it is. Half the time I had no idea what was going on until about halfway through, and I imagine that's pretty much the same way our main character felt. I recommend picking this one up completely, and I think its only going to get better, at at least I'm hoping it will Simon, you hear me, I don't want to be disappointed in a few months when you find something else new and exciting, we are in this for the long haul ok?

Now, for the artwork, its just as crazy as the story but still easy to see, you don't have to struggle to make out what's going on which is always a good thing. So a big thank you to Tan Eng Huat and the ability to match a level of wackiness with Simon Spurrier and yet remain understandable. It is a pleasure to see the inner psyche of David Haller, our protagonist. The shear insane nature of the imagery coupled with the imagination and ability to bring this imagery to life really adds another dimension to this comic and Simon's writing. A great pairing that I cant wait to see the future of.

What Would Doom Do? 

Well, probably bleed from his eyes as he attempts to comprehend the true nature of this work, but do it with a wide grin on his face and joy in his heart and maniacally rock back and forth in eager anticipation of the next issue.

3 random hours, 3 random comics

In my continued efforts to branch out and see a world outside of the Marvel/DC universe, Orbital Comics is always a haven of sorts. Following no particular theme and looking out for nothing in particular, I nabbed a couple of titles here and there in the hopes that I’d find myself a new series to follow.

‘Samurai’s Blood’
Owen Wiseman and Michael Benaroya’s tale of greed and power, that see’s 3 teenagers witness the death and destruction of their parents and village and vow to seek revenge by the way of the samurai…you know, the usual. But it wasn't this solid story and slick pencils of Nam Kim that drew me to it, oh no…it was the fact that this bad boy was only 75p.
For this bargain price it was pretty much worth it, although I’m not too sure that I would have forked out the extra £3. It’s nicely written in that ‘oh so serious, way of the samurai’ tone, with all sorts of cute analogies involving rivers and wind. Also it’s pretty neat how this first issue is a nice round up of what to expect in the next 5 issues, and works as a nice little circle (the beginning is the end but that doesn’t become clear until the end, kinda thing)



There are 6 issues in this title and whilst it would be cool to read the other 5, it’s not really at the top of my must-have list.


‘Homecoming’
“What the hell is homecoming?”, “It’s basically like Buffy but…”, “SOLD”
And so there I was thinking that Dave Wohl, Emilio Laiso, Brett Smith, Josh Reed had formed the ultimate alliance to become Joss Whedon⁴…close but no cigar.
With the earth on the brink of an alien invasion, a young girl returns to earth (after being abducted 10 years prior) as a soldier to stop it. She’ll also be juggling this with the trials of teen hood and high school (woo). One thing that I do really like is the current tone of the narrator – the story is told in the past, so it doesn't leave me rather intrigued to see what will happen at the end.
Homecoming (so far) is Buffy, meets Roswell, meets every teen scí-fi series of the late 90’s early 00’s. A bold assumption to make after just reading 1 issue, but I think it’s a safe one. I think I’ll keep reading.

'27 Second Set’
Another one for the bargain bucket. All 4 issues for £2, this is single handily one of the oddest thing’s I’ve ever read...mainly because I’m pretty sure that there’s a story before this. I’m not really sure what to say. It’s a story about 2 ‘has been’s’ looking to regain their fame – The main character Garland had made a deal with some kind of power, which gave him this button thing in his chest which makes him uber awesome and creative. A one hit wonder witch see’s this and decided she wants it for herself. Game on.
It was alright but the artwork creeped the hell out me (reminded me of some of the scary books I used to read when I was younger) so much that it kinda works. Whilst it seems to be trying to articulate a very strong message about fame and greed, it’s not really the one for me. Soz.

The Age of Doom! lol jk it's Ultron Bitches

On this glorious evening, Brian Bendis took to the Marvel Next Big Thing Liveblog to finally impart some knowledge to us lowly beings about the 'Age of Ultron'. Not only has this made us so much more excited about the re-arrival of Hank Pym's favourite son, but it has also cemented our faith in Marvel NOW.
Big and great things are happening peoples.

Check out below what the man had to say from himself...you might even spot a small cameo from everyone's favourite metal-faced sorcerer...

3:03	UltimateKidNova:  We have got Mr. Brian Michael Bendis with us live!

3:03	UltimateKidNova:  And yes...we are talking Age of Ultron!

3:06	UltimateKidNova:  Age of Ultron will be a 10-issue limited series beginning in March running through June written by Brian Bendis with issues #1-5 art by Bryan Hitch and Brandon Peterson and Carlos Pacheco taking over for the back half.

3:07

UltimateKidNova:  "Age of Ultron is about Ultron, one of our biggest villains ever, finally fulfilling his destiny, which is taking the Earth. From the very first page, Ultron has taken the Marvel Universe and everything is changed. There is a shocking amount of destruction and devastation. It started in Avengers, but it's meant to be a Marvel Universe book. It starts everyone." - Brian Bendis

3:07	Comment From Jay  Pacheco = quality. Back half of the series will be visually stunning.

3:08	UltimateKidNova:  "This was never supposed to be my last Avengers story, it was always meant to be a Marvel Universe event." - Brian Bendis

3:09	UltimateKidNova:  "We wanted to give a unique Bryan Hitch experience, which was rather than having him draw a couple issues and then wait, we didn't solicit until he had all his stuff done, so you can get it in explosive fashion. It's some of the best work of his career." - Brian Bendis

3:10

UltimateKidNova:  "We came up with a schedule that allowed us to tell the whole story is a shorter amount of time and get to the big stuff. The last pages are so shocking that only six people in the world know what is happening. The artists don't know. People from Marvel on this call don't know. Some of my best friends are going to call me after this and ask me and I will not tell them." - Brian Bendis

3:10	Comment From exusarmyranger  Will the "Age of Ultron" extend to other current Marvel titles?

3:11	UltimateKidNova:  "I've been having such a great time with Brandon Peterson on Avengers and I've been a fan of Carlos Pacheco since he started in comics." - Brian Bendis

3:11	UltimateKidNova:  "What would it be like to wake up one morning and have one of the Marvel Universe's biggest villains have just taken over? How will people react?" - Brian Bendis

3:12	Comment From David  I smell big things for Pym and Janet

3:12	UltimateKidNova:  "All five of Bryan Hitch's issues are completely inked and done. There will be three issues in March and three issues in April. We have 150 pages of beautiful, expansive, top of his game Bryan Hitch art ready to roll out." - Tom Brevoort

3:12	Comment From Jay  Oh hell - I missed Peterson's name in the mix, this series will look fantastic.

3:13	Comment From AnMikeNeel  will this ship monthly or bimonthly?

3:13	UltimateKidNova:  @AnMikeNeel Three issues a month for the first two months.

3:16	Age of Ultron Cover

3:16	Comment From AnMikeNeel  Oh wow that hawkeye reflection is a fantastic touch on the cover!

3:17

UltimateKidNova:  "This isn't a story where the Skrulls are invading. We cut right to the chase. We're already past that and Ultron is already here. He's already put his footprints on the landscape. You're immediately thrust into the heart of crazy events and things are going a million miles an hour." - Tom Brevoort

3:17	Comment From Sambo  I feel sorry for Hawkeye

3:17	Comment From Orsie  That art is SO awesome! I spot Iron Fist!

3:17	UltimateKidNova:  "And you see who survived." - Brian Bendis

3:17	UltimateKidNova:  "This is happening in the contemporary Marvel NOW! Marvel Universe, not the future." - Tom Brevoort

3:17	UltimateKidNova:  "This is in continuity." - Brian Bendis

3:17	Age of Ultron Preview

3:18	UltimateKidNova:  The seeds of this story goes all the way back to the first arc of Mighty Avengers by Brian and Frank Cho, but the most direct prologue is Avengers #12.1, which was also released as a Free Comic Book Day issue.

3:18	UltimateKidNova:  "Tony Stark knew the next time Ultron came back we wouldn't be ready. This is that time." - Brian Bendis

3:19	Comment From Tony  That Hitch artwork is gorgeous

3:19	Age of Ultron Preview

3:19	UltimateKidNova:  Two issues in May, two in June, an epilogue to follow. There will be about six to seven tie-ins.

3:20	UltimateKidNova:  There will be Fantastic Four and Superior Spider-Man tie-ins in March.

3:20	UltimateKidNova:  To clarify, six to seven tie-ins in total, most one-shots, a couple two-three issue limited series.

3:20	UltimateKidNova:  The tie-ins will fit into the numbering of the ongoing series, but have AU after them, ala Point One issues.

3:21	Comment From whatwoulddoomdo  This looks A-Mazing. Doom approves

3:21	Age of Ultron Preview

3:22	UltimateKidNova:  "It's fair to say this is an Avengers Vs. X-Men level event. That doesn't mean we won't be doing other things later in 2013, but it's Brian, Bryan, Brandon, Carlos and all the ingredients needed for a big deal project." - Tom Brevoort

3:23	UltimateKidNova:  "The things debuting after Age of Ultron are things we're very excited about." - Brian Bendis

3:25

UltimateKidNova:  "If you go back to the earliest Ultron stuff, he has severe daddy issues, even for a Marvel character, and they all have daddy issues. His logic is that the only thing standing in the way of the Earth being what it can be is humanity. I'm kind of obsessed with artificial intelligence in the real world and why people are scared of it. If there were a Marvel Singularity, it would be from Ultron. This is the moment technology takes over in a hostile way." - Brian Bendis

3:26	Age of Ultron Preview

3:26	UltimateKidNova:  "To write a story like this is incredibly scary, because Ultron coming at us with everything he has is the end of the Marvel Universe. We're doing it." - Brian Bendis

3:28	UltimateKidNova:  "There is some stuff that happens in the back half of the series that lends some shading to why the event is called Age of Ultron." - Tom Brevoort

3:28	UltimateKidNova:  Blake asking about Hank Pym, Wasp and Vision...

3:28	UltimateKidNova:  "We're hesitant to say who survives, but you can count on Vision being a pretty big part of the story. Some surprising people survive." - Brian Bendis

3:29	Age of Ultron Variant

3:30	UltimateKidNova:  "The cast is from all over the Marvel Universe. Moon Knight, Spider-Man, Hawkeye...it's all over the place." - Brian Bendis

3:32	UltimateKidNova:  Age of Ultron will fall in line with changes brought to the Marvel Universe by Marvel NOW!, specifically in Superior Spider-Man and Fantastic Four.

3:33	UltimateKidNova:  "There are a few characters who as the story evolves they take over as the foot on the ground characters for the reader." - Brian Bendis

3:33	UltimateKidNova:  "This ending is a whopper. And I'll go ahead and say it: You can't guess it. I'm involved in it and even I am going 'Really?'" - Brian Bendis

3:34	UltimateKidNova:  "It will take a very lucky person to guess the end of this." - Tom Brevoort

3:34	Comment From Juan Cornejo.  Is Bryan Hitch the artist of the whole event?

3:34	UltimateKidNova:  @Juan Cornejo Hitch on issues #1-5, Brandon Peterson and Carlos Pacheco splitting duties on the second five.

3:35	UltimateKidNova:  "Obviously as soon as you hear the name Ultron, you wonder where Hank Pym is and what's going on." - Brian Bendis

3:38	UltimateKidNova:  Blake asking about Moon Knight...

3:38	UltimateKidNova:  "Not everybody survived, but Moon Knight is as shocked as anybody that he does. He's in the right place at the right time. He digs his way out of the rubble to try and piece together what has happened and what he can do about it." - Brian Bendis

3:39	UltimateKidNova:  A lot of the storyline Brian told in Moon Knight comes back in Age of Ultron. You don't have to have read it, but it's a nice prologue for those who read it.

3:41

UltimateKidNova:  "I could not be more excited for this book to hit the stands. Literally not a day has gone by over the last year where people haven't asked me when it was coming. I know that people are looking forward to it, so to finally debut it and for it to be, I imagine, much more than people thought it was going to be, is great. It's beautiful. It takes one of Marvel's classic villains to a level he's never been before, takes the heroes to a place they've never had to go, and ends in a way you will never guess." - Brian Bendis

3:43	UltimateKidNova:  Age of Ultron kicks off with three issues in March by Brian Michael Bendis and Bryan Hitch!

March can't come soon enough!

What Would Doom Do
Come March he'd get the hell out of dodge and keep himself nice and cosy in Latveria...but hey, he's happy to let Ultron do all the hard work. It's only a matter of time